October 27, 2007
The
Institute of Optics announced the creation of the Robert
E. Hopkins Center for Optical Design & Engineering
on October 23. The new center, made possible by a $2 million
gift from former Corning Tropel Corporation CEO John Bruning,
celebrates the achievements of Professor Emeritus Robert
Hopkins, director of the Institute from 1954 to 1965 and
widely revered as the "father of optical engineering."
"We are proud to kick off this new center, which
will set the standard for optical engineering in the 21st
century," says Institute of Optics Director Wayne
Knox. "It's a fitting way to honor Bob Hopkins, one
of the icons of optical engineering. And many thanks to
John Bruning for making it possible."
The Center for Optical Design & Engineering (CODE)
will enable the leading optical engineering program in
the world and will attract the very best optical engineering
experts to Rochester to teach and conduct cutting-edge
research, according to Knox. Bruning's gift provides support
for the center and will help to fund a new faculty position.
All of this will directly feed the center's educational
commitment by offering students a hands-on experience
as they pursue their bachelor's, master's, and doctoral
degrees in optical engineering.
"We envision that CODE will be the training ground
for the leaders in optical engineering for generations
to come," says Kevin Parker, dean of the School of
Engineering and Applied Sciences. "Here we will combine
the best faculty, the best research, and the best facilities
and equipment in optical engineering that will attract
aspiring leaders from around the world."
The Robert B. Goergen Hall for Biomedical Engineering
and Optics will house the new center. Its space within
Goergen Hall is designed to encourage collaboration among
the faculty, the student base, and the expected increased
number of graduate students. Perhaps most importantly,
according to Knox, Goergen Hall also contains a laboratory
suite reserved specifically for the optical design, fabrication,
and metrology needs of the center.
"It is a great pleasure to be able to facilitate
further growth at the Institute of Optics with this wonderful
new center and I am particularly pleased to have the opportunity
to honor Bob Hopkins in doing so," says Bruning,
an executive scientist with Corning focusing on technology
and strategy. "Bob contributed enormously to the
world of optics as a scientist, an engineer, an entrepreneur,
and leader. It is my sincere pleasure that this center
will carry his name and legacy."
Hopkins stands as one of The Institute of Optics' most
significant figures-an innovator in the field of lens
and optical system design, and a teacher and mentor for
hundreds of students. In the early 1950s, Hopkins was
among the first to exploit the computer as a tool for
handling problems in lens and optical-system design, and
among the first to recognize the important role the laser
would play in the future of subjects like solid state
physics and quantum physics. In 1953, he cofounded Tropel
Inc, dedicated to manufacturing precision optical systems
and instruments for industry. He is renowned for his work
in lens design, image quality, and geometrical optics
in general. His appreciation for research and teaching
led him to expand the Institute's roles in those areas
during his tenure as director.
Photo by Betsy Benedict
©2006 University
of Rochester
