LILLINGTON - "Helping To Bring My Dream To Light."

That's the theme of Central Carolina Community College's celebration of the 2015 International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies, as declared by the United Nations.

The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at Central Carolina Community College's Harnett County Campus, 1075 E. Cornelius Harnett Boulevard, Lillington.

"By celebrating the IYL 2015, we want to let the community know we are here," said Gary Beasley, CCCC Laser and Photonics Technology Lead Instructor. "Our labs are equipped with industrial lasers and equipment. Our graduates can hit the ground running.

"The IYL 2015 is a celebration of what possibilities are out there. We are using it to celebrate what we have been doing since 1987 at CCCC when the Laser and Photonics program began."

The public will be able to visit the CCCC Laser and Photonics program facilities, including a tour of the labs.

Guest speakers for the event include Ron Darbee, Division Superintendent, National Ignition Facility, LLNL; Scott Hamlin, President, MegaWatt Lasers; Joel Sigmund, Market Segment Manager, Disco Hi-Tec America, Inc.; and Kevin Stevens, Ph.D., Director of Research and Development, Northrop Grumman - SYNOPTICS.

Also expected to attend the event are Natalia Chekhovskaya Kearney, Program Manager, LASER-TEC / Indian River State College; and Karen Rollo, Coordinator, International Year of Light SPIE.

Aaron M. Adams, a student in CCCC's Laser and Photonics program, is serving as event manager.

To learn more about Central Carolina Community College's Laser & Photonics Technology program, contact Gary Beasley at (910) 814-8828 or by email at gbeasley@cccc.edu.