IVC TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR APPEALS TO CONGRESS FOR MORE INVESTMENT IN LOCAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Larry DeShazer, Director of the State Center of Applied Competitive Technology (CACT) at Irvine Valley College, traveled to Washington, D.C. in April to make a case in Congress for increased federal spending and balanced investment in science and engineering research and development.

DeShazer and more than 200 scientists, engineers and technology leaders who represent the optics industry in Southern California made the visit to Capitol Hill as part of the Eighth Annual Congressional Visits Day, April 2-3. The event is sponsored each year by the Science-Engineering-Technology (SET) Work Group.

In his meetings with congressional leaders, DeShazer stressed the importance of the nation’s broad portfolio of investments in science, engineering and technology as a means to promote national security, prosperity and innovation. Moreover, he was able to convey--from a constituent’s perspective--the impact photonics research has on health and homeland security, and its significance in sustaining the growth of both local and national economies.

Photonics is a new discipline that replaces conventional electronics by using light to perform functions that once were the domain of electrons. “Photonics offers faster, smaller, cheaper technologies to address critical problems in our increasingly impacted global society. Existing electronics technology is reaching its limit,” said DeShazer.

He added: “We have been living off of fundamental research done up to the 1980s and now its end is in sight. More fundamental research must be undertaken to keep pace with the demands on technology, to provide the jobs and health for our society.”

More than 50 percent of all industrial innovation and growth in the United States since World War II can be attributed to advances pioneered through science, engineering and technology research. This publicly-funded R&D is a vital foundation for much of today’s scientific and technological progress. Some examples of scientific and technological advances that can be traced back to federally-funded research include global environmental monitoring, lasers and the Internet.

In his discussions with Congress, DeShazer further emphasized that science, engineering and technology will play an increasingly important role in the fight against terrorism. To ensure homeland security, he said, it is important that we take advantage of the expertise in which the U.S. leads the world.

According to DeShazer and other scientists, photonics is the best solution to probe chemical and biological agents without risking exposure to harmful materials, and research on explosives-sniffing lasers should continue. Additionally, biomedical optics will make a significant impact on health care. For example, instead of removing tissue for a biopsy, doctors can instead probe diseased tissues using photonics.

“I was pleased to have the opportunity to participate in this event,” continued DeShazer. “I feel strongly that making our voices heard to our elected representatives in Washington is critical to ensure ongoing support of federal R&D programs. It is crucial to the continued leadership of the nation that we commit increased resources to these efforts.”

Highlights of the two-day event included remarks by Mike Holland of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and by staff members from Capitol Hill. A reception was held at the Rayburn House Office Building honoring Reps. James Walsh (R-NY) and Alan Mollohan (D-WV) with the George E. Brown Jr. Science-Engineering-Technology Leadership Award. Participants in the Congressional Visits Day met with their senators and representatives on April 3.

The SET Work Group is an information network comprised of professional, scientific, and engineering societies, higher education associations, individual institutions of higher learning, and trade associations.

The Center for Applied Competitive Technology at Irvine Valley College is a non-profit outreach program of the California Community College system, dedicated to enhancing the strength and competitiveness of California’s manufacturing companies by providing technical and business assistance. For more information, contact Dr. DeShazer at (949) 451-5203 or go to www.irvinecact.com.

Additional information on the 2003 Congressional Visits Day can be found on the Web at www.agiweb.org/cvd/.

Dr. Larry G. DeShazer is Director of CACT at Irvine Valley College. He has thirty years of experience in business administration, industrial management, scientific research and product development. He was director of industrial programs, Laser Systems Division, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace in St. Louis; head of Laser Optical Materials, Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu; and director of Solid State Laser Group, Spectra Technology Inc., a subsidiary of Spectra Physics. He was also president of several laser medical products manufacturers. DeShazer has served as Liaison Scientist for the U.S. Office of Naval Research in London, and was a tenured professor at the University of Southern California in the departments of physics and electrical engineering. At USC, he founded the Center for Laser Studies, now in its 27th year of operation, and he was a teacher and research professor of laser physics and quantum electronics for 13 years. DeShazer received a Ph.D. in physics at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. He is Fellow of the Optical Society of America and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He is cited by the society for contributions to fundamental research in laser spectroscopy of rare-earth and transition-metal solids and the development of lasers using these materials.