Nazareth University Launches Optics Minor to Prepare Students for High-Demand Careers and Research
The Rochester and upstate New York region is a major hub for optics and photonics, and Nazareth University is helping students prepare for in-demand careers with a new minor in optics.
The optics minor equips students for jobs in biomedicine, imaging, and nanotechnology by integrating life sciences, photonics, and advanced optical techniques. The minor complements the study of chemistry, biomedical sciences, biochemistry, and mathematics, equipping graduates with the critical thinking and technical skills essential for careers in medical technology, photonics, and optical systems innovation.
Nazareth’s program also provides a unique applied experience that is rare for undergraduates.
“Nazareth’s optical laser laboratory is equipped with advanced instrumentation, such as a tunable ultrafast laser system, typically not accessible to students at primarily undergraduate institutions,” said Sanela Lampa-Pastirk, optics program director. “The fact that we give our students this opportunity puts them ahead of the curve and able to land those jobs in optics fields and also prepares them for continued graduate education and research because of their hands-on skills.”
Students in the optics minor are also encouraged to participate in research opportunities, including national research experiences for undergraduates.
Learn more about the Optics minor
Contact
Julie Long | Chief PR Officer | jlong2@naz.edu | (585) 389-2456 | (585) 781-8186 (cell)
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
Sanela Lampa-Pastirk, associate professor and co-director of Nazareth's biomedical science program, is working on a system of advanced lasers in Peckham Hall that use light to study extremely fast processes.