Jessica DeGroote Nelson is the Research and Development Manager of Optimax Systems, Inc., an optical components manufacturer dedicated to small volume, high quality and quick delivery. She joined Optimax in 2007 after graduating from the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics with a bachelor’s, masters and Ph.D. in Optics. She is also currently an adjunct faculty at The Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester teaching a course on Optical Fabrication and Testing.
During the past five years at Optimax, Jessica has not only expanded and improved the internal optical manufacturing processes, but has also won five Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards and is leading the research on these initiatives, as well as authoring more than 20 white papers on her findings.
Jessica is also an active member and presenter with the Optical Society of America (OSA), SPIE, American Ceramic Society (ACerS) and the American Society of Precision Engineers (ASPE). She is also active in the local section of the Optical Society of America – Rochester Section where she currently serves on the council as treasurer.