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Date: 9/8/2025
Subject: OSSC Newsletter - September 2025
From: Newsletter Team

Newsletter Volume 30, Number 2
September 2025

Table of Contents

From the President
OSSC Membership Dues Increase
September Meeting
October Meeting
Outreach Activities
Join OSSC Leadership Team!
Society News
Optics Education
Attention Students!
OSSC Website Sponsors
OSSC Corporate Members
Welcome New OSSC Members

From The President

Donn Silberman

Hello OSSC Members and Friends,

In this issue we have many missives to let you know about happenings around our Society. We hope you can participate and share your excitement about optics and related technologies. I also hope to see you at an upcoming OSSC meeting or outreach event!

You can read my September letter to the membership here.

OSSC Membership Dues Increase

After careful consideration, the OSSC Board of Directors (BOD) voted unanimously on August 8, 2025, to increase OSSC membership dues effective October 1, 2025. Increasing the dues has been under consideration for several years at both our Board of Director's and regular OSSC Meetings.

Increased dues will allow us to significantly increase the value of OSSC Membership by allowing us to enhance our website and newsletter, increase funding of outreach events and educational materials, enhance outreach to students and professionals through social media, and better promote our Corporate Members.

OSSC Membership Dues Effective Oct. 1, 2025

Individual and Student Membership: $30

Corporate Membership: $250

Website Sponsorship: $500

If you membership is active, the increased dues will go into effect when you renew next year.

If your membership expired, we encourage you to renew your membership today, before the dues increase, by visiting ossc.org.

OSSC Meeting
10 September 2025

Dr. Sercel’s talk will go through the history of TransAstra’s mission to pioneer asteroid mining and space logistics, enabling sustainable industry and settlement in space and how it led to the development of the TKO and their partnership with Celestron.

Meeting Registration & Details

OSSC Meeting
8 October 2025

What You Should Expect to See from Quantum Computing and When Will It Happen?

Doug FinkeChief
Content Officer, Global Quantum Intelligence

Quantum computing is a rapidly evolving field that promises to revolutionize the way we process information. But what is quantum computing? Doug Finke will take on this daunting topic and make it more approachable for us to understand by exploring the basics of quantum computing, its progress, and application.

Registration will be available soon.

Meeting Details

Outreach

Outreach Webpage

$Outreach Steven Dang Diffractive Selfie$

Outreach Opportunities

The OSSC seeks volunteers for upcoming events being organized by our friends at Vital Link and The Girl Scouts of Orange County and many more. Please contact the Outreach Chair if you are interested.

Join the OSSC Leadership Team!

We would love for you to join the OSSC Leadership Team!

The Board of Directors and Committees guide our Society through all of our activities including regular monthly meetings, special events, education & outreach, and much more. Upcoming Board of Director and OSSC Committee meetings are on the home page of the OSSC website and on the Events Calendar.

All active members are invited and encouraged to join the Leadership Team.

Society News

Photons in Death Valley

OSSC Member and Leadership Team member Mark Helmlinger shares his experience and photos as a presenter at the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival.

OSSC Holds Its April 2025 Meeting at The Historic Rialto Theater

by Robert F Cartland

The April 2025 meeting of the OSSC was held at the historic Rialto Theater in South Pasadena. The Theater is a star in its own right.

Read More >

Final Notes

Recently OSSC President Donn Silberman was asked to write an article about the OSSC for another association, as he has been a member for almost 20 years. He has written some Quantum articles for them in the past and they are all on the QOISC website under the 'Articles' dropdown menu. This new article starts off with our "Aim & Purpose"; and can be found on the OSSC | QOISC webpage.

Donn hopes you enjoy the article and near the end you can read a very brief mention about a new IMAX documentary he is developing with Macgillivray Freeman Films.

We are always seeking news to publish from our Members at all levels of our society. Please send your news directly to Bob Cartland at Newsletter@ossc.org.

Optics Education

UC Irvine Optical & PCC Laser Tech

Learn more about professional education opportunities on the OSSC website.

Attention Students

Students Members receive a meal discount at our regular meetings. If you qualify as a Student Member but do not see the discount, your membership probably needs to be updated. Please contact Memberships to have your membership changed to Student Member before registering for the next meeting.

Student Members are Individual Members who are currently enrolled in school at least part-time and are not working full-time.

Website Sponsors