What started as a study group among three friends turned into a cross-country research trip and possibly the start of three careers in a fast-growing tech field.
A year ago, senior mechanical engineering majors Chris Baker, Cole Huetz, and Brielle Zemer barely knew what photonics — a field focused on using and controlling light for real-world technologies — was. Now, they’ve already attended one of the largest industry conferences in the country, are finishing up their senior project, and are poised to head to graduate school to continue studying photonics.
“We met because we’re nerds,” Baker said. “We like getting good grades, so we studied together, and it just worked.”
Their chemistry, combined with a faculty mentor from Baker’s freshman year, led them to their senior project. Teaming up with physics professor David McGee, the trio is developing a prototype “laser micro-printer,” a device that uses light to create microscopic structures with real-world applications from anti-counterfeiting technology to biomedical devices.
“This is really interdisciplinary,” Zemer said. “We didn’t know photonics going in. We had to learn everything, from scratch.”
While the learning curve was steep, it was supported by McGee and engineering faculty advisor Karen Yan. Under their guidance, the team is working to turn a complex lab setup into a functional, standalone proof-of-concept design akin to a desktop printer, and engineering a usable system that integrates optics, electronics, and mechanical design into a single device.
“We know the technology works, but it’s never been its own standalone thing,” Huetz said. “And so that’s where we come in.”
They’ve also tapped into a broader research network through McGee’s involvement with the Advancing Photonics Technologies consortium, and have collaborated with industry partners like Thorlabs, gaining rare access to professional engineers and real-world problem solving.
“It’s not just academic anymore,” Huetz said. “We’re having real engineering conversations with people in the field.”
That bridge between classroom and career became even more real when the team traveled to San Francisco to attend SPIE Photonics West, their first professional conference, in January. Funded by the School of Engineering and supported by their research network, the trip gave them a front-row seat to the future of photonics.
“We were surrounded by people from all over the world,” Zemer said. “A year ago, we didn’t even know what this field was — and suddenly we’re there.”
Between technical talks, massive exhibit halls, and a little sightseeing, the experience helped solidify what comes next: Baker, Huetz, and Zemer all plan to pursue graduate studies in photonics after they graduate in May.
Looking back on their time at TCNJ, Baker said the opportunities he found on campus made all the difference.
“It’s crazy to think about, but if I hadn’t come to TCNJ, this wouldn’t have happened,” he said. “I don’t think I’d be where I am at any other school. That decision four years ago really changed my life.”
— Emily W. Dodd ’03