{"id":14542,"date":"2026-01-07T14:05:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T19:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/?page_id=14542"},"modified":"2026-04-13T06:02:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:02:43","slug":"2026-symposium","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/newsevents\/events\/past-events\/symposium-archive\/2026-symposium\/","title":{"rendered":"The 27th Annual Photonics Center Symposium"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><em><span style=\"color: #003366;\">Photonics in Space<\/span><\/em><\/h1>\n<table width=\"907\" height=\"159\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\">When:<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><strong>April 9, 2026<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #003366;\">Where:<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Photonics Center, 8 Saint Mary&#8217;s St., <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Room 906, Boston, MA 02115<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><a href='https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/2026-symposium\/2026-photonics-center-symposium-registration\/' class='button button-primary'>REGISTER HERE<\/a><\/h3>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #003366;\">Event Hosts:<\/span><\/h5>\n<p>\n\t<ul class=\"profile-listing profile-format-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-3364 profile type-profile status-publish hentry profile-field-faculty\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/profile\/joshua-semeter\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics\/files\/2016\/11\/semeter-Josh-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Joshua Semeter<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">Professor, ECE<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-3383 profile type-profile status-publish hentry profile-field-faculty\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/profile\/brian-walsh\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics\/files\/2016\/11\/Walsh-Brian_sqr-600x600-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Brian Walsh<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">Associate Professor, ECE, ME<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/eng\/profile\/brian-walsh-ph-d\/\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>Event Description<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span>This symposium will feature talks from premier astronomy researchers across academia and industry discussing developments in imaging and spectroscopic technologies, superconducting techniques with South Pole telescopes, and usages of the EM spectrum for research on Mars, among other topics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>From our solar system to the first stars formed after the Big Bang, these experts&#8217; optic and photonic innovations are advancing our understanding of the known\u2013\u2013and unknown\u2013\u2013universe.<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>Confirmed Speakers<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n\n\t<ul class=\"profile-listing profile-format-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-14566 profile type-profile status-publish hentry profile-field-sym-2026\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/profile\/edward-balaban\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics\/files\/2026\/01\/Balaban_Edward-NASA_Ames.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Edward Balaban<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">NASA Ames Research Center<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-14569 profile type-profile status-publish hentry profile-field-sym-2026\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/profile\/kerri-cahoy\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics\/files\/2026\/01\/Cahoy_Kerri-MIT-copy-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Kerri Cahoy<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">Massachusetts Institute of Technology<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-14572 profile type-profile status-publish hentry profile-field-sym-2026\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/profile\/supriya-chakrabarti\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics\/files\/2026\/01\/Chakrabarti_Supriya-UMass_Lowell-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Supriya Chakrabarti<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">UMass Lowell<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-14620 profile type-profile status-publish hentry profile-field-sym-2026\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/profile\/justin-deighan\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics\/files\/2026\/01\/justin_selfie-300x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Justin Deighan<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">University of Colorado, Boulder<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-14678 profile type-profile status-publish hentry profile-field-sym-2026\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/profile\/baris-erkmen\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics\/files\/2026\/01\/Erkmen_Baris-300x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Baris Erkmen<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">Aalyria, 2022 Optica Fellow<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-12258 profile type-profile status-publish hentry profile-field-faculty profile-field-sym-2026\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/profile\/kirit-karkare\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics\/files\/2025\/01\/Karkare_Kirit-300x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Kirit Karkare<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">Assistant Professor, Physics<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>Symposium Agenda:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<table width=\"841\" height=\"878\" border=\"1\" style=\"height: 878px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>8:30\u20139:00<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Registration and Continental Breakfast<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>9:00\u20139:10<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #003366;\">Welcome <span style=\"color: #000000;\">| Joshua Semeter, Ph.D., Professor, Boston University<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>9:10\u20139:20<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #003366;\">University Greeting <span style=\"color: #000000;\">| Thomas Bifano, Ph.D., Director, Photonics Center, Boston University<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>9:20\u201310:00<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><em>Probing the Beginning of Time with Superconducting Detectors at the Ends of the Earth<\/em> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">| Kirit Karkare, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Boston University<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>10:00\u201310:40<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><em>Ultraviolet Mars: The Search for More Science<\/em><\/span> | Justin Deighan, Ph.D., Research Scientist, University of Colorado, Boulder, LASP<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>10:40\u201311:00<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Coffee Break<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>11:00\u201311:40<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><em>AI-In-The-Loop MEMS Optical<\/em> <em>Control <\/em><\/span>| Kerri Cahoy, Ph.D., Professor, MIT, and <span style=\"color: #003366;\"><em>AstroPIC: Integrated Photonics for Exoplanet Instrumentation<\/em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> | Rachel Morgan and Eduardo Bendek, <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">SETI\/NASA Ames Research Center<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>11:40\u20131:10<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\">Lunch &amp; Lunch Speakers<\/span> | Brian Walsh, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Boston University &amp; Majd Mayyasi, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Boston University<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>1:10\u20131:50<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"color: #003366;\">Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE): From Puddles to Giant Space Observatories<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>| Edward Balaban, Ph.D., Research Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>1:50\u20132:30<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><em>Development and Validation of High-Contrast Imaging and Spectroscopic Technologies<\/em><\/span>\u00a0| Supriya Chakrabarti, Ph.D., Professor, UMass Lowell<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>2:30\u20132:50<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Coffee Break<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>2:50\u20133:30<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"color: #003366;\">Photonic Data Highways: Engineering Resilient Laser Communication Between Earth and Space<\/span> | <\/em>Baris Erkmen, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Aalaryia<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>3:30\u20133:40<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\">Closing Remarks<\/span> | Brian Walsh, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Boston University<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>3:40\u20135:10<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Reception<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5>Speaker Presentations:<\/h5>\n<p><strong><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Edward Balaban:<\/span><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\"> <\/span><\/strong><em><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE): From Puddles to Giant Space Observatories<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Kerri Cahoy<\/strong><strong>: <\/strong><em>AI-In-the-Loop MEMS Optical Control for Space Imaging and Lasercom<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\"><strong>Supriya Chakrabarti: <\/strong><\/span><em><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Development and Validation of High-Contrast Imaging and Spectroscopic Technologies<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\"><strong>Justin Deighan: <\/strong><\/span><em><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Ultraviolet Mars: The Search for More Science<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Baris Erkmen:<\/strong> <em>Photonic Data Highways: Engineering Resilient Laser Communication Between Earth and Space<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\"><strong>Kirit Karkare: <\/strong><\/span><em><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">Probing the Beginning of Time with Superconducting Detectors at the Ends of the Earth<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span>Please request disability and mobile accommodations to <a href=\"mailto:bethmath@bu.edu\">bethmath@bu.edu<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photonics in Space When: April 9, 2026 Where: Photonics Center, 8 Saint Mary&#8217;s St., Room 906, Boston, MA 02115 Event Hosts: Event Description This symposium will feature talks from premier astronomy researchers across academia and industry discussing developments in imaging and spectroscopic technologies, superconducting techniques with South Pole telescopes, and usages of the EM spectrum [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22337,"featured_media":0,"parent":13417,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14542"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22337"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14542"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14912,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14542\/revisions\/14912"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}