Benefits

Student Membership Benefits

Student Membership is designed for undergraduate and graduate students who devote at least half of their time to academic coursework.

  • OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS (OPN) SUBSCRIPTION. OPN is the field leading monthly magazine that keeps members up to date on technical innovations, industry news, OSA activities and much more. As an OSA member, you receive a 12-month print subscription and exclusive access to OPN Online.
  • PHYSICS TODAY SUBSCRIPTION - The flagship publication of the American Institute of Physics, Physics Today is a monthly magazine that delivers technical articles, news stories, analyses, book and product reviews, a searchable job database, and more.
  • MEMBER DIRECTORY. The members-only section of OSA.org accesses the online Member Directory and search engine. This area also includes: the Member Guide, newsletter archive, by-laws, and a  membership management feature that enables you to update your contact information and view your recent meeting and publication purchases.
  • NEW BENEFIT! DISCOUNTS ON TECHNICAL BOOKS OSA has partnered with John Wiley & Sons to develop a library of books for OSA Members. Members receive a 15% discount on all publications. Visit the OSA/Wiley Bookstore for complete list of books and to purchase books through this special arrangement.
  • CONFERENCE, MEETING and SUBSCRIPTION DISCOUNTS - Members attend OSA-hosted events free of charge or at greatly reduced rates. In fact, the member registration discount for just one meeting generally exceeds the cost of annual dues! Members also receive substantial subscription discounts for all OSA publications.
  • ONLINE RESEARCH LIBRARY - OSA has developed OpticsInfoBase.org, an extensive online repository of its publications with a powerful search engine that enables you to do research and access articles on demand. Members receive substantial subscription and download discounts.
  • TECHNICAL GROUPS. OSA members are encouraged to join up to five technical groups free of charge. Affiliating with these groups ensures that you will receive updates on OSA publications, meetings and activities in your interest area.
  • NETWORKING OPPORTUNITES. OSA-hosted events provide year-round opportunities to make and build professional contacts. The Society also encourages members to connect with colleagues from around the globe by becoming involved in OSA Technical Groups and through volunteer activities.
  • PEER SOCIETY PUBLICATION DISCOUNTS - OSA members receive subscription discounts on journals published by American Institute of Physics (AIP) and selected AIP member societies. Visi www.aip.org/forms/ to view titles and purchase journals online. Please note, OSA members are limited to three (3) AIP journal subscriptions.
  • CAREER SERVICES - OSA members may post their resumes onWORKinOPTICS.com at no cost and receive special recognition in its resume bank. OSA hosts Career Centers at major conferences throughout the year–members receive priority online and on-site services.
  • GRANTS, AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS OSA offers a full range of recognition programs covering a variety of scientific and engineering specialties. Members are encouraged to participate.
  • EMAIL ALIAS -This service enables members to synchronize any email address with their OSA email address. That way, if you change your home or business email account you do not have to inform all your colleagues and contacts.

OSA Student Chapter Benefits

OSA Student Chapter participation is a great way to build technical and leadership skills while networking with peers and the greater OSA community. OSA and the OSA Foundation provide each chapter with a wide range of benefits and opportunities for professional development.

  • Youth Science Education Outreach Grants - The OSA Foundation provides Education Outreach Grants to support the grassroots education efforts of OSA chapters. Please visit the Activity & Education Outreach Grants page for complete details.
  • Free Outreach Materials. The OSA Foundation and the Rochester Local Section of OSA are pleased to provide OSA Student Chapters with a free Optics Suitcase to help with education outreach programs! The Optics Suitcase is an innovative, interactive presentation package designed to introduce middle school students to many of the concepts of optics as well as other sciences. The Suitcase includes instructions and materials needed for several experiments and demonstrations. You can also view a video of Dr. Steven Jacobs using the Suitcase on the OSA Member pod blog.
  • Leadership Conference - A representative from each chapter receives a travel grant to attend the annual Student Chapter Leadership Conference that is held in concert with OSA’s Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics. The Leadership Meeting and Frontiers in Optics activities include technical and professional development sessions along with many opportunities for networking.
  • Traveling Lecturer Program - Student chapters are eligible to request a visit from a traveling speaker annually.
  • Excellence Award - The Excellence Awards program was established to recognize the outstanding achievements of OSA’s Student Chapters and Local Sections for advocacy and outreach efforts in their local communities as well as academic and professional development programming for members. Presented annually at Frontiers in Optics (FiO), two Student Chapters and two Local Sections receive an Excellence Award certificate and a $1000 USD award.
  • E-Newsletter - Each chapter member receives Focal Point - a quarterly electronic newsletter written for and by OSA Local Section and Student Chapter members from around the world.
  • OSA Collaborative Grants - OSA supports Student Chapters that organize collaborative activities between themselves and another funding body (such as a government agency or another professional society).  Ten grants of $250 each are available for these events each year.

Modified on May 16, 2009