Institute of Optics

10/01/2026

Congratulations to all of the 2026 Luminate Accelerator winners! 🎉

It’s exciting to see so many innovative optics and photonics companies from the Rochester region being recognized. Congratulations especially to Gekko Photonics on taking home the $1M top prize!

Rochester continues to be a remarkable place for optics, photonics, imaging, and laser technology. 🌟

Gekko Photonics took home the top prize of $1M at the 2026 Luminate Accelerator competition!🌟 This innovative company has developed inline Raman analyzers that replace delayed lab testing with continuous chemical monitoring.

The Greater region is the world's , , & capital. Since 2017, the region's OPIL sector has committed $1.36B in new investment, 4,900 net new jobs, and retained 7,000 jobs. This makes the perfect ecosystem for Gekko and other forward-thinking companies to flourish.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿’𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀!
$1M Company of the Year - Gekko Photonics
$400K Outstanding Graduate - AB Photonics
$250K Distinguished Graduates - Brightlight Photonics, Hypervision
$100K Honorable Achievement - Phlotonics Inc.
$10K Audience Choice - Ciconia Medical
APOMA American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association Optics Innovator Award - Manifest Technologies

A big shout-out to sponsor Optica and funder Empire State Development for making this incredible event possible!

Cheers to Sujatha Ramanujan and the entire Luminate Accelerator and NextCorps teams on another successful competition.

Check out the press release here: https://rochesterbiz.com/cohort-nine-winners-of-luminate-ny-startup-accelerator-competition-announced/

09/24/2026

At Phlotonics, a photonic biosensing startup in Rochester (cofounded by University of Rochester Medicine faculty member Benjamin Miller and two of his graduate students), optical engineering major Zihan “Frannie” Zheng ’27 helped the company build data pipelines and use analytical tools that transform raw photonic and microscopy data into meaningful biomarker insights, dashboards, and automated reports.

Read more at: https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/internships-new-york-small-businesses-data-ai-719752/

The New York State Center of Excellence in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence connected 10 local businesses with student interns.

08/13/2026

Congratulations to the University of Rochester students recognized as winners of the 2026 Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition!

We are incredibly proud to celebrate:

👏 Julia Barber — Drone Mounted LWIR Zoom Lens for Downed Pilot Rescue Operations
👏 Ren Lian — No Where to Hide: NBI Large FOV Gastroscope for Early Stomach Cancer Diagnosis
👏 Isabelle Settle — PebbleVision – Visible Camera for Olympic Curling Ice Characterization
👏 Martín Sipowicz — Reverse Engineering the Plasma Diagnostic Collection Lens Within the SMART Tokamak
👏 Zihan Zheng (Frannie) — Wide Angle Lens Design for GoPro-Style Video Camera for Snowboarding/Skiing

Each of these projects demonstrates the creativity, technical skill, and problem-solving that optical engineering demands. It is especially exciting to see our students applying optical design to such a diverse range of real-world challenges—from medical imaging and emergencies to fusion energy, sports, and action cameras.

A huge congratulations to all five students on this well-deserved recognition! And thank you to Keysight Optical Design Engineering for continuing to support and recognize the next generation of optical designers.

We are proud to see the University of Rochester and the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences: University of Rochester represented so strongly in this year's competition!

Read more about the 2026 winners and their projects: https://www.keysight.com/blogs/en/tech/sim-des/keysight-announces-2026-robert-s-hilbert-memorial-optical-design-competition-results

Learn more about the winners of the 2026 Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition, and the projects that they worked on.

08/06/2026

Progress has a beat. Feel it build at Luminate Finals 2026, coming up on September 30.

Be there in person or online to:
🚀 See emerging technologies shaping tomorrow
✨ Go inside the new NSF‑backed STELLAR laser initiative
🗳️ Vote live for your favorite startup team
💵 Watch the big checks get awarded—up to $2M is on the line!

Thank you to our sponsor Optica for hosting Luminate Finals as part of FiO LS at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

Grab your ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/luminate-finals-2026-tickets-1996117570387?aff=social

07/14/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that STELLAR Lasers has been selected as one of the NSF Engines!

This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible support of our partners. Thank you to everyone who wrote letters of commitment, collaborated with us throughout the proposal process, and to our outstanding leadership team for their vision and dedication.

We’re excited to continue this important work—advancing laser technologies, strengthening industry partnerships, developing the workforce, and driving innovation that will have a lasting impact.

Read more in the University of Rochester announcement.

A transformative moment for Rochester and the Finger Lakes region! 🎉

We’re proud to share that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected the University of Rochester–led NSF STELLAR Engine for funding, investing $15 million over the next two years, with an additional $16 million in New York State support, to establish a nationally recognized hub for laser science, technology, and innovation.

Building on Rochester’s global leadership in optics, photonics, imaging, and laser technologies, the University of Rochester-led STELLAR Engine brings together more than 90 partners across academia, industry, government, and entrepreneurship to accelerate innovation, advanced manufacturing, workforce development, and U.S. competitiveness in laser technologies across the Rochester/Finger Lakes region.

From healthcare and communications to advanced manufacturing and national security, laser-enabled technologies are central to future progress. STELLAR will help ensure that breakthrough discoveries, skilled talent, and next-generation companies continue to grow right here in Rochester.

“On behalf of the University community, we’re gratified that our regional leaders have demonstrated that we have the talent and the teamwork needed to reposition our nation at the forefront of laser research, development, and manufacturing," says President Sarah Mangelsdorf.

Congratulations to all who made this achievement possible!

07/08/2026

Exciting times! Stay tuned!

Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences: University of Rochester University of Rochester Greater Rochester Enterprise (Rochester, NY)

06/22/2026

Congratulations to Marlena Berger ’27 for being selected an Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) Award.

Astronaut Scholarships are awarded to students in their junior and senior year of college studying STEM programs with the intent to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their final degree. Astronaut Scholars are among the best and brightest minds in STEM who show initiative, creativity, and excellence in their chosen field.

05/13/2026

Senior Design gives students a unique year-long opportunity to collaborate with industry partners and faculty mentors to solve real-world engineering challenges.

Design Day is always an exciting experience — showcasing innovation, teamwork, and the next generation of problem-solvers.

Great to see these talented students recognized for their work and impact on the future of technology.

A year of long hours and hard work has come to this point, for University of Rochester engineering students.

05/12/2026

A new article by Assistant Professor Zhujun Shi from the University of Pittsburgh and Barry Silverstein, director of the University of Rochester’s Center for eXtended Reality, explores how photonic integrated circuits (PICs) could revolutionize the future of advanced display technologies. From augmented and virtual reality to holographic displays, the paper highlights how integrated photonics can enable smaller, lighter, more energy-efficient, and higher-performance display systems with unprecedented control over light. The work outlines a path toward next-generation immersive visual experiences powered by scalable photonic technologies.

Read more: https://academic.oup.com/nsr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/nsr/nwag234/8660078

05/08/2026

Benjamin Hancock has done an outstanding job this year as our Science Outreach Coordinator! He has travelled to many schools and/or organized groups of student volunteers to teach optics to high school kids.

Today, he and Nabendu S. Mishra (a PhD student who volunteers a lot!) visited the home school co-op PCC LEAH and delivered an engaging class filled with hands-on demonstrations. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved.

We’re pretty sure the highlight was exploring the FLIR camera - or popping balloons with lasers - always crowd favorites!

We travel locally to different middle and high schools and groups, and also invite classes to tour our labs. Please message us if you would like to be added to our fall schedule.



University of RochesterHajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences: University of Rochester
Homeschool New York/LEAH:Loving Education At Home