Search | Menu Students gain access to advanced laser technology with Gentec-EO lab grant
Madison College students will soon gain hands-on access to advanced laser measurement technology thanks to a prestigious award from the 2025 Gentec-EO Laser Lab Awards program.
Madison College Electronics & Electrical Engineering Technology instructor Grant R. Emmel received the award, which will provide new laser equipment for instructional use. The thermopile-based laser power detector is expected to be available for student learning in the summer of 2026. This will be used in conjunction with future equipment purchases in support of efforts to build out the quantum technology curriculum. Madison College is working with the Chicago Quantum Exchange (Quantum Connected), which is vying for an NSF Engines Grant. It is hoped that the awarding of that grant will ‘quantum enable’ the entire Midwest region, of which Madison College is a part.
Madison College was selected as one of 12 academic institutions worldwide to receive the award, highlighting the college’s commitment to providing industry-aligned, hands-on education.
Hands-on learning experience
“Technical colleges are challenged to build-out certificates and curriculum in emerging technologies, especially when it requires specialized equipment and exactly because the jobs are not necessarily there yet," Emmel said. "The Gentec-EO award is crucial to colleges’ ability to ‘bootstrap’ and/or augment their capabilities and provide relevant hands-on learning experiences. The Gentec-EO product line addresses the wider range of needs for quantum and photonics applications in both academic and industry environments. Madison College is so very grateful to them for the award and for their efforts to help the academic community.”
The Gentec-EO Laser Lab Awards support optics laboratories at universities and colleges around the world, ensuring students have access to the same high-quality measurement instruments currently used in industry. The program emphasizes practical learning and real-world application of physics and optics principles.
To be considered, applicants were required to describe how the Gentec-EO equipment would be integrated into laboratory instruction and explain the physics concepts students would explore through hands-on demonstrations and experiments. Applicants must be actively involved in teaching at a college or university.
Find more information on Gentec-EO’s website.
