Next OSSC Meeting

10 September 2025
The Sutter Turn Key Observatory (TKO)

Dr. Joel Sercel
President & CEO, TransAstra

Register Here

STUDENTS: You must be an OSSC Student Member in order to receive the meal discount at our meetings. Student Members are Individual Members who are currently enrolled in school at least part-time and are not working full-time. Please email the Membership Chair before registering for the meeting to update your membership type. Student Membership is only $30 per year. Learn more about OSSC membership.

Outreach

Seeking Volunteers

The OSSC seeks volunteers for upcoming events being organized by our friends at Vital Link and other partners in Orange County. Please contact the Outreach Chair if you are interested.

We would love your help!

Check out Donn's Public Photo Albums | QOISC for photos of recent and past outreach events.

Find more OSSC Outreach Information, including Sponsorship levels for the Vital Link 'Empowering Futures' event.

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Uniting the Southern California Optics Community

Since 1951, the Optical Society of Southern California has been your Southern California local section of Optica founded to increase and disseminate the knowledge of optics and closely allied sciences. The Society meets monthly from September through June (except December) and also organizes regular family-friendly outreach events.

Members Enjoy:

Meal Discounts at most of our regular meetings
Access to our on-line Membership Directory of Optics and Photonics Professionals
Access to dozens of videos and recorded webinars of OSSC Speakers dating back to 2017
Access to over two decades of presentation documents featuring eminent speakers from the optics community
Access to over 200 Issues of the OSSC Images Newsletter dating back to 1998
Opportunities to join our Leadership Team.

Learn More!

Already a member? Visit our Member Portal to access exclusive member only content.

OSSC Leadership Team Activities

Congratulations New Officers

2025-2026

President: Donn Silberman

Vice President: Lisa Belodoff

Secretary: Cecily Brown

Treasurer: Steven Dang

Councilors

McGuire Herbert

Martin Hagenbuechle

Jack Latchinian

Officers were elected during the June 11, 2025, Annual Business Meeting and began their terms of office on July 1

Visit our Leadership Team webpage to see all our OSSC Volunteer Leaders.

2024-2025 Annual Report

Click the image to view the slides

The OSSC Leadership Team meets periodically to plan events and manage Society business. The Leadership Team would would love your help! Contact OSSC President Donn Silberman to discuss how we can best put your talent, interests, and skills to use.

The Programs & Arrangements Committee is open to members who want to help plan and manage our regular meetings and events. If you have an idea for a speaker or event, please contact OSSC Programs Chair Stefan Forschner.

The Website, Communications & Newsletter Team is open to members who want to share Society knowledge and activities via our website, emails, and social media. If you would like to help, please contact OSSC Webmaster Bob Cartland or OSSC Communications Chair Cecily Brown.

The Membership & Finance Committees welcomes members to help recruit and keep track of our OSSC Members of all levels and to keep track of our finances. Contact Donn Silberman to learn more.

Learn More

Outreach

Learn About Registered Apprenticeships

You can learn more about apprenticeship programs

on the Vital Link website

Apprenticeships

OSSC Corporate Members and Website Sponsors can request information

directly from Vital Link by using their on-line form

Apprenticeship Interest Form

Professional Education Opportunities

UC Irvine

Part-Time Instructor: Optical Engineering and Optical Instrument Design

Summer 2025 courses begin in June.

Optical Instrument Design

The above courses are part of Certificate Programs in:
Optical Engineering & Optical Instrument Design

Additional Information

Pasadena City College

Laser Technology Program

Students completing the program in Laser Technology will learn the scientific principles of optics, fiber-optics, and lasers. Laser and Photonics Technology instructors lead hands-on, laboratory-driven classes, utilizing state-of-the-art industrial equipment, based on the industry-guided photonics curricula written by industry professionals. In addition to laboratory skills, students are offered one-on-one support and career advice, including résumé and LinkedIn profile building.

A new LaserTech student cohort starts in the Fall 2025 semester.

Additional Information Contact:

Prof. Brian Monacelli, Ph. D.

Most of the course materials are available for use as OER (Open Educational Resources) by contacting Dr. Brian Monacelli directly at BMonacelli@Pasadena.edu

For more Information about local professional education opportunities visit our:

Professional Education Page

Recent OSSC Annual Business Meeting

11 June 2025
Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS)

Richard Rieber, M.S.

Robotics Systems Engineer
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA

Download slides
(members only)

EELS (Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor) | NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Society News

The OSSC Newsletter, Images, includes Society news, events, technical articles, and the occasional optrick (optical illusions and other ways to have fun with light). Over the decades, the Newsletter has evolved from a print edition, to a downloadable pdf, and is currently an email Newsletter.

Recent issues are viewable on our Newsletter Page. OSSC members may access over 200 pdf editions in our Newsletter Archive.

If you have a short article you would like to contribute to the newsletter, please email the editor. Corporate Members are encouraged to submit profiles, news, workshops or other events.