Gallatin College MSU graduate discovers passion for photonics after decades of adventure

BOZEMAN - Conrad Griese, a graduate of Gallatin College Montana State University's photonics and laser technology program, is a lifelong learner.

From co-owning a pipemaking business in Hawaii to teaching cruise passengers to cook in partnership with the show "America's Test Kitchen," the 57-year-old has seen it all. After he moved to Bozeman, however, Griese realized his culinary career had run its course, and he needed a new direction.

Griese enrolled at Gallatin College MSU in 2023 to prepare for a well-paying, lasting career rather than settling for odd jobs that didn't truly capture his interest, he said. On May 9, he graduated with his Associate of Applied Science degree in photonics and laser technology.

"This degree wasn't about showing other people that I'm capable," he said. "It was just about showing myself. Can I ignite this spark again? Can I get my curiosity back?"

In Gallatin College's two-year photonics and laser technology program, the only one of its kind in the state, students spend their time in MSU teaching labs and in the classroom preparing for careers in defense, manufacturing, communications and information technology. Southwestern Montana has one of the highest concentrations of optics and photonics companies per capita in the nation, making Bozeman a perfect place for students to become immersed in the field. Photonics technicians control light to enhance sensing and imaging in electronic products, ranging from self-driving cars to light mapping in wildfire detection.

Griese, a self-described tinkerer, said he loves understanding how and why products work, which drew him to the photonics program. He grew up building robots with his dad, an electrical engineer whose home cabinets were filled with widgets and knobs.

Inspired by his upbringing, Griese earned a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering in 1992 from Arizona State University. However, he realized he couldn't get a job in the field without a master's degree, which would add to his existing student loans. Instead, he worked for software startup companies and large manufacturers for 12 years before deciding it was time for a change. At the age of 38, Griese set out to find his passion and sense of adventure.

He moved to Colorado to become a raft guide before using his cooking skills to run a kitchen in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Griese went on to earn a pastry certificate from a community college in his hometown of Santa Rosa, California, before joining Holland America Line to perform cooking demonstrations with "America's Test Kitchen" and, a year later, moving to Hawaii to help run his friend's business making smoking pipes.

"Conrad is a great example of a lifelong learner," said Mark Craig, director of Gallatin College MSU's photonics and laser technology program. "At Gallatin College, he excelled in all his technical courses. Beyond simply getting a grade, he truly wanted to understand the concepts and see how lab instruction was relevant to his professional work life."

While earning his degree, Griese began an assembly internship with LUMIBIRD, an international company with a Bozeman office that designs, manufactures and markets lasers. For 18 hours each week, Grise assembled optics components before moving onto more complex projects, like producing laser heads. Working with the "finnicky little beasts" was directly applicable to his coursework, he said.

This semester, he shadowed LUMIBIRD's integrators, who build lasers and perform initial tests to make sure products meet client standards. As Griese toured LUMIBIRD and other optics companies, he found he wouldn't have been able to earn a high-level position without his Gallatin College MSU degree. He said falling back on his bachelor's degree was not an option for specialized positions. He would have had to start as an assembly intern and work his way up.

"In my Gallatin College classes, it was very humbling to see that I didn't understand all the physics behind how a laser works," he said. "There comes a bit of arrogance with living for a while, and you fall into the problem of thinking you know so much. Now, I'm like, 'Wow. I didn't know how it worked. That's awesome.'"

Throughout the program, Griese said he "learned from the best," such as lab instructor Steven Birrell, who founded a quantum company in Bozeman, and Stephanie Smith, an instructor with experience in electrical engineering and design.

This semester, Smith's students built robots with circuit boards to make them travel along strips of tape. After the project was complete, Griese used the same computer system to improve his home coffee machine and created a mechanized water pump to fill the machine with the push of a button. He said he likes the process of testing and reworking his many inventions, scribbling in his notebook for ways to improve them.

Smith said Griese's highly curious mind shines through his work. With a diverse career background, Griese can look at a complex problem from several angles and reason through it. This quality helped Smith's students engage in more advanced discussions with classmates from all ages and backgrounds.

"Conrad will always exceed anyone's expectations," Smith said. "I can foresee him using his photonics knowledge to help improve manufacturing or testing processes, modifying technology to create more efficient and reliable equipment, or leading a team to build a brand-new product. I have no doubt that Conrad will make an impact on the photonics industry in the Gallatin Valley."

On Monday, May 12, Griese joined LUMIBIRD as a full-time employee to produce lasers that help doctors perform surgery. He said he is excited to enter the photonics and optics industry in Bozeman, where companies collaborate with MSU, other universities and each other to discover "the next incredible thing."

"This is where the journey begins, right?" he said.