Boosting student engagement and workforce development in microelectronics

Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub funding will expand the reach of the Northeast Microelectronics Internship Program for firstand second-year college students. The Northeast Microelectronics Internship Program (NMIP), an initiative of MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) to connect firstand second-year college students to careers in semiconductor and microelectronics industries, recently received a $75,000 grant to expand its reach and impact. The funding is part of $9.2 million in grants awarded by the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) Hub to boost technology advancement, workforce development, education, and student engagement across the Northeast Region. NMIP was founded by Tomás Palacios, the Clarence J. LeBel Professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT, and director of MTL. The grant, he says, will help address a significant barrier limiting the number of students who pursue careers in critical technological fields. "Undergraduate students are key for the future of our nation's microelectronics workforce. They directly fill important roles that require technical fluency or move on to advanced degrees," says Palacios.