Outreach activities
Active and regular activities
The OSAL Student Chapter, an affiliate of the American Society for Optics (OPTICAL, above OSA), stands out as one of the most active groups of Castile and Leon dedicated to the dissemination of the Optics. It was created in 2009 by Benjamin Alonso, Rocio Borrego, Carlos Hernández-García, Carolina Romero and José Antonio Pérez-Hernández, four of them researchers from LUMES. Currently, it is composed of predoctoral researchers and students of master’s degree and a degree from the University of Salamanca, under the academic direction of the researcher LUMES Carolina Romero. Among its outreach initiatives include a YouTube channel devoted, guided tours of the laboratory of optics of the university of salamanca, outreach programs in institutes, the commemoration of the International Day of Light, the promotion of the visibility of women in science and the fight against gender inequalities, and the organization of events such as Pint of Science.
The Master’s degree in Physics and Laser Technology, coordinated by researchers from LUMES, actively organising from the 2015 photo contest “Day of Light”. In this collaborative effort involved RSEF, SEDOPTICA, NPOS, Supernova, the Physics League and LUMES.
The Committee of Quantum Optics and Nonlinear Optics of SEDOPTICA, and his group’s counterpart in the RSEF (chaired by the researcher LUMES Carlos Hernández-García), organized from 2020 Awards Ramón Corbalán for the dissemination and teaching of Quantum Optics and Nonlinear Optics.
These awards seek to stimulate research activity and the disclosure in the early stages of the research career, both in the context of doctoral studies as a master’s degree and a degree. The awards are held biennially, with the regular collaboration of the CLPU and society OPTICA.
Within the CLPU, various activities contribute to citizen participation. Among them, include a YouTube channel devoted, a monthly podcast entitled “Fireflies”, the creation of educational materials such as “Bits on Lasers” books, books, and the creation of the Unity of Scientific Culture and Innovation of the CLPU (UCC+I). The UCC+I form part of the Spanish network of UCC+I, and has the support of the FECYT. Among the key activities in this context include “The Cycle of the Light”, which includes lectures on relevant research in light; “Garabalux” (a drawing contest for primary school students); “Women forgotten by science” (that review the biographies of women scientists as relevant); and “Playing with Light”, an initiative aimed to bring technology closer to the light groups with disabilities neurocognitive and motor.
Researchers LUMES actively contribute to the organization of the local phase of the Olympics for Physics in Salamanca, spain, collaborating in the framework of the Royal Spanish Society of Physics (RSEF).