MCC’s optics program gets $5M funding boost from DOD

Andrea Deckert//September 27, 2023//

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A Monroe Community College student polishes lenses in an optics fabrication lab. (File photo supplied by MCC.)

Monroe Community College’s optics program has been awarded a $5.1 million, three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Manufacturing Engineering Program.

The grant was announced by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle.

MCC is one of the only community colleges in the nation that offers an optics and photonics associate degree. The school graduated the most students in the program’s history in 2023 and has seen increased student enrollment in the program over the past two years.

DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, MCC president, said the federal funding will enable MCC to create opportunities for more residents – especially those in historically underrepresented communities – to secure a career in the advanced manufacturing industry.

“Monroe Community College continues building on its efforts to strengthen the talent pipeline across the Finger Lakes region to ensure a robust optics technician workforce,” she said.

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