U.S. college students can learn from some of the world's leading experts in display technology thanks to a two-year, nearly $300,000 National Science Foundation grant; which Partha Banerjee, director of the University of Dayton Holography and Metamaterials Lab, will help lead in conjunction with Penn State.

Banerjee, a UD professor of electro-optics and photonics, along with project lead Akhlesh Lakhtakia, a professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State, will take 16 graduate students to Taiwan for a week this summer and next. Students will take classes with faculty from top Taiwanese universities and interact with industry experts at some of the world's top display companies such as AUO Optronics, PlayNitride and E Ink. Taiwan is a global manufacturing leader in electronics and displays, according to Banerjee.

Display technology refers to technology used in video screens for televisions, computers, mobile phones, virtual reality, and more.

Bernard Kress, an expert in augmented and virtual reality at Google, and faculty from the University of Dayton and Penn State will be among the presenters.

"The program aims to enhance U.S. leadership in science and engineering research and education, and develop an elite workforce to design and manufacture next-gen display products in the U.S," Banerjee said. "Also while there, students also will participate in cultural immersion programs." 

The National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students Advanced Studies Institute program will cover all travel expenses for the students.

Any graduate student who is a U.S. citizen at a U.S. college or university can request an application for the program or more information by emailing Banerjee at pbanerjee1@udayton.edu.

Banerjee owns one patent and has published six textbooks and more than 150 journal articles. He is a fellow, or a member of distinction, of OPTICA, formerly the Optical Society of America; SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics; and the Institute of Physics.

For interviews, please contact Shawn Robinson, associate director of news and communications, at srobinson1@udayton.edu.

Photo: This is a hololens, a virtual reality device that helps people see better see 3D images and better perceive complex objects or scenarios, according to Banerjee.