Zemax and The Optica Foundation have partnered together to improve the accessibility of professional optical engineering tools for students in low- and middle-income countries.

By providing students with access to OpticStudio software and professional-grade training, Zemax and Optica are empowering the next generation of engineers and assisting exceptional students who may be limited by their circumstances. The Optica Foundation invited members from their student chapters to apply to receive software and professional-level training on OpticStudio, and Zemax selected 19 students, representing the countries of Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, and Romania.

Students selected for this program demonstrated innovative or humanitarian research goals and strong faculty recommendations. One stand-out student is working on the design of a research-grade holographic microscopy system to be constructed with a total cost of $10, allowing for its deployment for disease screening in remote regions of her home country, Colombia. Another is driven to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the optics and photonics industry, and dreams of mentoring the next generation of African scientists and engineers. Additional student research topics include intraocular lenses, shearography, materials processing, spectroscopy, and holography.

These exceptional students will be recognized and introduced within the Zemax user community in November. Visit the People & Pointers section of the community and subscribe to get a notification when the students are introduced.