Charlotte, NC, October 31, 2002 -- A $5 million appropriation by the Department of Defense will help accelerate UNC Charlotte's ongoing research to move even more information at "the speed of light."
University officials and U.S. Congressman Robin Hayes announced that funding has been secured to support research and instrumentation at the Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications, one of three areas of focus under the Charlotte Institute for Technology Innovation.
The funding represents the largest federal allocation since the Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications was established in January 2002. Funds from a previous $2 million earmark that had been appropriated in January are expected to be released this week.
"I am proud to say, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, this funding will allow necessary research to be done in the field of optoelectronics that can help equip our military personnel with more technologically advanced systems," said Hayes, representing North Carolina's 8th Congressional District, who was instrumental in securing the appropriation. "Just as importantly, it continues to propel UNC Charlotte to lead research and development in this important field while bringing more technological expertise to the entire Charlotte community."
The Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications is a critical and emerging technology in the Carolinas that will spur technological and economic expansion in the Southeast in the next decade.
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