Stonehill College is looking for instructors for its Photonics Certificate Program. This program, which will begin its third year in the fall is intended to train technicians for work in the photonics industry. The program consists of a sequence of general manufacturing and electronics courses, followed by several optics and photonics courses, with emphasis on hands-on work and on skills relevant to the photonics industry. These 12-14 week-long courses are in-person, weekday evenings, and there is no expectation of prior background in math, electronics, or industry for the students in the program. The ideal instructors would have both industry experience and some background in worker training or higher education. The courses place heavy emphasis on hands-on experience (use of machine tools, design and fabrication procedures, etc.), but some of the courses are also expected to cover background in areas such as basic math and software skills. Safety protocols will be strongly emphasized in all courses, and online OSHA-10 and laser safety training is required of the students as part of the program. Classes will be capped at 20 students, and students range in ages from late teens to early 50’s with different levels of education and experience.
The courses that we expect to need instructors for in the coming year are:
- Electricity and Electronics – Fall semester 2022
- Tools and Testing – Fall semester 2022 (Covers basic measurements with oscilloscopes, calipers, microscopes, etc., as well as practice in welding and other basic electronics and manufacturing skills.)
- Digital Fundamentals – Spring semester 2023
- Statistical Process Control – Spring semester 2023
- Tools and Materials – Spring semester 2023 (Introduction to manufacturing systems, design of engineering processes, and CNC manufacturing)
- Applied Optics – Summer semester 2023 • Fiber Optics – Summer semester 2023
The 12-month program includes an internship with a local company during the final semester and was constructed with extensive input from local companies. The goal is to prepare the students for immediate employment once the certificate is completed, and the program achieved 100% success in placing students from the first graduating class.
Stonehill College is a private, liberal arts college in Easton, MA, about 20 miles south of Boston, and is committed to diversity in its student body and in its instructors. More information about the program is available at: www.stonehill.edu/photonics. For further information about the program or the available positions, please contact Profs. Cheryl Schnitzer, Ruby Gu, or David Simon at cschnitzer@stonehill.edu, ggu@stonehill.edu, dsimon@stonehill.edu.
