A TREMENDOUS NEED FOR A PHOTONIC ENGINEERS IN THE US IN AN EFFORT TO BOOST THAT NUMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SEEN THEIR FIRST EVER LASER AND PHOTONICS SUMMER CAMP WHERE SHE’S MEGAN MELLADO WAS THERE HIGH SCHOOLERS LEARNED ABOUT THE FUTURISTIC INDUSTRY THAT MUST SWITCH FROM LASERS TO SELF-DRIVING CARS, VIDEO GAME DISPLAYS AND MEDICAL IMAGING. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE SPENDING THE WEEK AT UCF’S COLLEGE OF OPTICS AND PHOTONICS GETTING HANDS ON EXPERIENCE ON THE FIELD. THOSE ARE ALL THE FREQUENCIES OF THAT SONG TOGETHER. IT’S ALL PART OF THEIR LASER AND PHOTONICS SUMMER CAMP. IF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING TV, THEY’RE LOOKING AT A PHOTONIC DEVICE, A DISPLAY. WHEN YOU’RE DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH, THAT’S ALL GOING OVER THE FIBER OPTIC NETWORK, CAN WE HAVE A VERY STRONG PROGRAM HERE IN? FIBER OPTICS. DEAN OF THE COLLEGE, DAVID HAGAN, SAYS OPTICS AND PHOTONICS ARE JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK AND HE SAYS COMPANIES ARE DESPERATE TO HIRE IN THIS FIELD. THERE’S SO MANY JOBS IN THE AREA, COMPANIES ARE CRYING OUT. THEY BASICALLY SAY THEY COULD DOUBLE THEIR BUSINESS IF THEY COULD JUST HIRE MORE EMPLOYEES. THAT’S WHERE THE COLLEGES SUMMER CAMP COMES IN. LUCAS CONDOS CAME ALL THE WAY FROM CALIFORNIA TO PARTICIPATE. PRIOR TO THIS THERE THERE’S A BASICALLY NOTHING ABOUT OPTICS AND PHOTONICS. AND NOW I’M BEING EXPOSED TO LUCAS MOM AND UCF ALUM FROM THE COLLEGE OPTICS. NANOPHOTONICS SAYS THAT’S EXACTLY WHY SHE WANTED HIM TO ATTEND. I WENT TO THE SCHOOL HERE. I’D LIKE MY SON GET EXPOSED TO THE FIELD OF OPTICS BECAUSE I THINK IT’S THE VERY GREAT FIELD TO GET INTO FOR THE FUTURE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH ANOTHER ALUM WHO ALSO HAS HER SON PARTICIPATING AND NOW WORKS AS A STAFF SCIENTIST IN CALIFORNIA. I’M NOT SURE HE’S GOING TO DO EXACTLY WHAT I DID, BUT I THOUGHT EXPOSURE IS VERY IMPORTANT. MY MIND IS STILL OPEN, BUT LIKE THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING. HE USES INFRARED LIGHT TO DETECT HEAT. AT UCF, MEGAN MELLADO WATCHED MAINLY GRADUATES IN THE COLLEGE HAVE ENDED UP WORKING FO