On Tuesday, UR Institute of Optics announced the establishment of the Robert E. Hopkins Center for Optical Design and Engineering. The center’s creation was made possible by a $2 million donation from former Corning Tropel Corporation CEO John Bruning and is named after Hopkins due to his many contributions to the University.
Hopkins was a Professor Emeritus at UR and was also the Director of the Institute of Optics from 1954 to 1965. He also co-founded Tropel Inc. in 1953, which manufactured precision optical systems and industry instruments and later became Corning Tropel Corporation, at which Bruning is now an executive scientist.
The creation of CODE is meant to attract the best optical engineers to teach and do research at UR.
“We envision that CODE will be the training ground for the leaders in optical engineering for the 21st century,” Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Kevin Parker said. “Here we will combine the best faculty, the best research and the best facilities and equipment in optical engineering that will attract aspiring leaders from around the world.”
The new center will be housed in the Robert B. Goergen Hall for Biomedical Engineering and Optics. Goergen Hall was chosen due to its laboratory suite in which research can be conducted for the optical design, fabrication and metrology needs of the center, according to Director of the Institute of Optics Wayne Knox.
“We are proud to kick off this new center, which will set the standard for optical engineering in the 21st century,” Knox said. “It’s a fitting way to honor Bob Hopkins, one of the icons of optical engineering.”
Halusic is a member of the class of 2010.
