NATZEM LIMA PARTICIPATES IN NPI CAPITOL HILL VISIT TO PROMOTE PHOTONICS R&D FUNDING

This July OSC student, Natzem Lima, participated in the National Photonics Initiative Capitol Hill Visit—an intense 2-3 days of back-to-back meetings with leaders from the scientific, academic, and business communities with legislators. Natzem and the NPI team had the opportunity to share with staffers of representatives and senators firsthand the contributions of optics and photonics research and development and the importance of our country maintaining its position as a global leader in this important space by supporting funding and lesgistlature for important photonics research and development.

Natzem shared more details on the experience, "This year I had the opportunity to meet with staffers from Arizona and Colorado senators and representatives: 1) Tia Bogeljic (Rep. Ed Perlmutter D-CO-7), 2) Vivek Chilukuri (Sen. Michael Bennet D-CO), 3) Dan Winkler (Sen. Krysten Sinema D-AZ), 4) Joe Russell (Sen. Mark Kelly D-AZ), 5) Kelsey Mishkin Gardner (Rep. Raul Grijalva D-AZ-3), and 6) Ben Owens (Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick D-AZ-2)."

The impact of the visit was signficiant, Natzem said, "I feel a heightened sense of encouraging my peers in research to take a more active role in engaging in local policy or local government, whether it is to advocate for photonics & optics or to advocate for their interpretations on life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness."