MCC Daily Tribune

$1M NSF grant awarded for Empowering Emerging Microelectronics

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $1 Million grant for Empowering Minds through Experiential Learning, Research, and Career Growth Opportunities in Emerging Microelectronics (EMERGE-MICRO) under Principal Investigator Dr. Parsian Katal Mohsini of RIT and Co-Principal Investigator Christopher Kumar, Chair of the Engineering Sciences and Physics Department at MCC. 

In the grant application, MCC and RIT collaborated with corporate partners Global Foundries, Inc. (GF) and Micron Technology, Inc. (Micron) to develop an experiential learning-based pilot model toward the sustained growth of the US semiconductor workforce.   This joint effort serves as a central pipeline for participants from diverse backgrounds, enabling career pathways from 2-year community colleges to leading semiconductors and microelectronics manufacturers.

The participants will earn stackable Associate Science (A.S.) degrees in Engineering Sciences as well as Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in Microelectronic Engineering, while developing practical skills through industry-guided research in cleanroom laboratories and on-site training during co-operative education work placements in industry.

This program will ultimately cultivate future workforce generations by establishing cross-sectional partnerships between regional community colleges, research-intensive universities, and leading industry stakeholders, thereby safeguarding the long-term growth of the US microchip manufacturing industry toward domestic semiconductor independence.

Margaret Kaminsky
STEM & Health
07/11/2024