Edmund Optics announces finalists for 2014 Educational Award

Edmund Optics (EO; Barrington, NJ) has named 45 finalists in its 2014 Educational Award out of more than 880 applications. The winners will share more than $85,000 in EO products.

EO's global award team will select three award recipients in each region based on two criteria: (1) technical merit, which is the application of optics in the program, and (2) the innovative use of optics in a lab or research setting.

Fifteen finalists were selected from each of the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The Educational Award recipients will be announced on October 15. Each region will award a gold ($10,000 in products); a silver ($7500 in products); and a bronze ($5000 in products). All remaining global finalists will be given a $500 Product Matching Award.

Additionally, all finalists will be eligible for the Norman Edmund Inspiration Award (an additional $5000 in products announced on November 5) for the program that best embodies the legacy of Edmund Optics' founder, Norman Edmund, for inspiring others to become interested in science and engineering.

"For the fifth year, our Educational Award program showcases the remarkable creativity and innovation of our applicants. So many of their programs continue to impress and inspire," remarked Kirsten Bjork-Jones, Director of Global Marketing Communications. "The technical expertise and inventive use of optical components to create solutions that help make this world a better place is what this Educational Award program is all about. And inspiring optical innovation is key to what Edmund Optics is all about."

The 45 hopeful finalists, representing 21 countries, submitted applications ranging from developing a device to screen young children for neurodevelopmental disorders based on pupillary light reflex to designing solutions to assess water quality using high-resolution microscopy.