Annual Report

Institute for Atomic Physics Student Chapter

Romania

2 July, 2014

Laurentiu RUSEN

President of Institute for Atomic Physics Student Chapter

National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics

409 Atomistilor Street

PO Box MG-36

077125 Magurele

Ilfov, Romania

Outline of the report Current member list

Chapter activities in 2013-2014

Perspective activities in 2015

2014 Chapter Officers Chapter President: Mr. Laurentiu RUSEN, ID#: 772634

laurentiu.rusen@inflpr.ro,

Chapter Vice-President: Miss Tatiana ALEXANDRU, ID#: 3448908

gabriela.salamu@inflpr.ro

Chapter Secretary: Miss Agota SIMON, agota.simon@inflpr.ro, ID#: 3536629

Chapter Treasurer: Miss Irina NEGUT, irina.negut@inflpr.ro, ID#: 3594337

Chapter Advisor: Dr. Angela STAICU, angela.staicu@inflpr.ro, ID#: 447912

Chapter web site http://spie.inflpr.ro/

Contact +4 021 457 57 39 (phone)

+4 021 457 57 39 (fax)

SPIE_RO@yahoogroups.com (discussion group)

Chapter status

Our Chapter’s status is currently active, as it has been since April

2001. We have members from institutions like National Institute for

Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics and University of Bucharest.

There have been some changes regarding our members: some of

our old members left, but we intend to attract other members from other

institutes or universities.

Meetings take place at least twice a month, for discussions on

current issues, activities, and planning for future events. Special

meetings are a happy way of getting together for team building and

celebrations, at least from time to time.

At the beginning of 2014, elections for the Board of our Chapter

took place.

Chapter member list Let us introduce you our current members: Miss Tatiana Alexandru Miss Iulia Anghel Mr. Radu Daniel Avram Mr. Mihai Boni Miss Andra Dinache Miss Alina Ionescu Mr. Viorel Nastasa Miss Irina Negut Miss Ana Maria Niculescu Miss Gabriela Salamu Miss Agota Simon Mr. Alexandru Stoicu Miss Anita Visan Miss Adriana Smarandache Mr. Laurentiu Rusen

The Romanian SPIE Chapter Officers

A picture of a part of SPIE Romania team; from left to right: Agota Simon - secretary, Angela Staicu - chapter advisor, Irina Negut -

treasurer, Tatiana Alexandru - vice-president (former president 2013) and Laurentiu - Nicolae Rusen - president.

Chapter Activities since the Last Report

1. August 2013, San Diego USA

The participation in August 2013 at the “SPIE Optics & Photonics” Conference and “Student Leadership Training” Workshop in San Diego, USA, was made possible thanks to Officer Travel Grant received from SPIE by Alexandru Tatiana former president of our chapter. During the Leadership workshop, 24.08.2013, the following topics were discussed: effective group behaviors, personal skills for group leadership, making chapters more effective and building strategic plans.

“Student Leadership Training” Workshop, San Diego.

In the same time, collaboration with other SPIE Student Chapters was discussed and plans were made. Participation to this event helped to promote the Romanian chapter and the National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics.

“Institute for Atomic Physics” Chapter activities poster presentation performed

during 2012-2013.

The official picture with the chapters’ leaders from all around the world.

Outreach Activities

Institute for Atomics Physics Chapter has been active in the past with

creating awareness and popularization of Optics in schools and high

schools from Romania. This year our chapter organized outreach

activities including visits of Master, high school and primary school

pupils at the National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics,

Magurele, in different laboratories also participating in other activities

under the Romanian Ministry of Education tutelage.

2.1 Laboratory visits at the INFLPR of high school and primary school students 7-11 April 2014

The National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics

received a large number of high school pupils and also primary school

pupils. They presented a huge interest in optics field, having numerous

questions regarding the institute research activities. Those visits were

done in the frame of the program called "School in a different way: To

know more, to be better". This program, being organized by the

Romanian Ministry of Education is devoted to educational

extracurricular and nonacademic activities.

The main purpose of this program is the involvement of all preschool

children / pupils and teachers in activities that meet their interests and

concerns and also to highlight their talents and abilities in various fields,

not necessarily in the present National Curriculum. Another target was

to encourage their participation in various activities in a non-formal

context.

This year the activity took place between 7-11 Aprils. The program

”Să ştii mai multe, să fii mai bun!” (“To know more, to be better”) is last

one week every year, being organized by the Ministry of Education. The

National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics received a

large number of high school pupils. They were very enthusiastic about

the institute research work. Our chapter was deeply involved in the visit

organization and different laboratories presentations. We hope that their

enthusiasm after visiting our laboratories will translate them into future

students at Physics Faculties.

In the following pictures you can see some of our members during the

visits in the laboratories.

We had that at least 500 elementary and high school pupils with their

teachers and accompanying persons visited the laboratories of our

Institute.

Ms. Agota Simon explaining laser safety measures to primary school pupils.

Ms. Iulia Anghel presenting the application of Solid State Laser Laboratory to primary school pupils.

Mr. Morjan Ion, Director of the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics explaining

the mod of operation of the industrial robot.

2.2 Researchers night 27 September 2013

On September 27 was celebrated Noaptea Cercetatorilor-

“Researchers Night” in many Romanian cities, such as Bucharest -

Magurele, Iasi, Timisoara, Craiova, Cluj, along with 300 other cities in

Europe.

Different locations in city centers and campuses hosted spectacular

scientific experiments as well as lectures about the great mysteries of the

universe and trivia contests for participants. This event was co-organized

by the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation.

The event, whose aim was to promote research among the general

public, was held with the help of researchers and volunteers from the

National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation in such manner that

non-academic public understands science beyond the equations and

formulas. Participants were invited to participate in the original

experiments and fun, friendly explanations accompanied by physical or

chemical phenomena underlying the spectacular effects. Our chapter

was involved by touring the quests in the laboratories of our Institute.

Also we participated in the Tineretului Park with different stands,

with a lot of optics and laser experiments, as well as with the quite

successfully Laser Chess.

We estimate that at least 1000 persons, from elementary school pupils

to grandparents visited our Chapter stands. Many of them got involved

in the experiments presented by our colleagues.

Members of SPIE Romanina Chapter at the “Researchers night 2013”

Members of SPIE Romania Chapter at the “Researchers night 2013”

3. International Student Conference on Photonics, September 23th- 26th 2014, Orastie, Romania.

Our chapter is currently involved in the organization of the 5th

International Student Conference on Photonics which will take place in September 23th- 26th 2014 in Orastie, Romania. The aim of the ISCP 2014 is to give an opportunity of young researchers to promote their recent results obtained as well as to enhance their knowledge in laser physics, material science and different laser applications.

Therefore, we encourage undergraduate and graduate students, PhD students and young researchers to contribute with oral and poster presentations in order to promote their work and results.

The topics of ISCP 2014 include, but are not limited to:

• High power lasers and applications

• Optics and Optoelectronics

• Micro and nanotechnologies

• Advanced Materials

• Lasers in life sciences

• Laser metrology and industry

• Physics of plasma sources and application

In the same time, the involvement of young researchers in organizing the conference helps them to gain management skills and innovative and constructive thinking.

We have launched the conference web-page which contains all the necessary information for allowing potential participants to get in touch with the location/prices/topics. At this moment we are trying to find more sponsors for the Conference.

Web page address: http://iscp.inflpr.ro/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ISCP2014

We also launched the second announcement and the registration is already open.

The Institute for Atomics Physics Chapter in collaboration with Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, also offers a grant to a potential student in terminal year or already in Master program in order to participate with an oral presentation at this conference.

Our main goal is to surpass the number of presentations and participations of the last conference.

Planned Activities for the future

We are planning to continue our main activities, like educational

activities for high school teenagers and students, laboratory visits, outreach activities. One of the main goals of our Chapter is to succeed in organizing in good condition of he International Student Conference on Photonics - 2014 because the feedback received was a positive one and also we hope to attract new members.

The following is the brief list of planed activities:

1. Promote optics to pre-university students: develop workshops, volunteer to supplement science education, participate in the Ministry of Education activities.

2. Attracting undergraduate’s students to Physics by giving seminars, tours and having interactive communications.

3. Trying to establish close relations, interchange experience and plan common activities with other SPIE chapters around the world.

4. Continue the extensive collaboration with different universities from our country.

5. Organizing the International Student Conference on Photonics 2015.

6. Apply for SPIE grants and scholarships available to chapter and individual chapter members to support travel and research activities.

Financial information (July 2013 - June 2014)

I. Beginning balance: 0

II. Funds raised and expended (indicate amounts and source/destination):

Received 700 $ from SPIE activity grant: we planned to spend these for the ISCP 2014 conference materials costs. Our chapter annual conference will take place in September 2014 and the estimated costs for conference material costs (badges, notebooks, T-shirts, posters, etc) is 1700$.

III. Other sources (please specify):

- “Radiatia” Trade Union sponsorship for conference ISCP 2014 – 924 $

IV. Ending balance

1624 $ will be spent for the chapter conference material costs.