News Releases
Teledyne Brown makes $1.3 million gift of optics equipment to UAH
8/2/2006 2:14:54 PM
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Aug. 1, 2006) — The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) announced today that it has received a gift of more than $1.3 million in optics equipment from Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. (TBE).
A portion of the lasers, mirrors, lenses and other hardware have been used to set up a holography teaching lab for physics and optics students. The lab has work stations for both graduate and undergraduate students, who will mix, pour and spin coat their own holographic film. The film will be exposed using lasers before the holograms are developed as part of each student’s lab work, according to Tim Blackwell, a research engineer in UAH’s Center for Applied Optics.
“I think there are very few colleges that offer holographic studies in the laboratory,” said Blackwell. “The skills the undergraduate students will learn — how to work on an optics table, to align lasers and lens systems, to set up geometric optical systems — will carry them throughout their optical careers. They will benefit tremendously.”
“Teledyne Brown is pleased to be able to present this valuable optics equipment to UAH,” said Jim Link, president of Teledyne Brown Engineering. “It is our hope that this equipment will be used to bring greater opportunities for study and research to students at the university. Teledyne Brown values its role in the community and being able to help increase our technical talent base.”
In addition to the holography lab, hardware donated by TBE is being used in about a dozen research and teaching laboratories in several departments across the UAH campus, including physics, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and electrical and computer engineering.