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Microsystems Engineering Ph.D.

AIM Photonics hosted several days of training Aug. 15-17 in Photonic Integrated Circuits: Testing and Packaging Boot Camp, including one day at RIT.

From building a cleanroom in his family home while he was in high school to becoming an entrepreneur and Ph.D., it is no wonder that RIT alumnus Matt Hartensveld is viewed as a future leader in the microelectronics industry. He was recently named SEMICON West 20 under 30 awardee, given by the organization to recognize the microelectronic industry’s brightest young leaders.

RIT is one of six U.S. universities named as part of an international partnership to improve competitiveness in computer chip design, development, and manufacturing. Micron Corp. and the National Science Foundation announced the partnership and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the 2023 G7 Summit in Japan.

RIT recently acquired Vanguard Automation’s SONATA 1000 3D-nanoprinter, a next-generation technology for advanced photonic packaging and integration. The new equipment will advance how the university is solving the challenges of building and using photonic integrated circuit chips, lasers, and optical fibers.

Kate Gleason College of Engineering (KGCOE) alumni from points across the U.S. were honored with alumni awards recognizing their achievement and leadership at a reception at RIT’s University Gallery during National Engineers Week.

RIT recently became a partner in the SUPREME Center (Superior Energy-efficient Materials and Devices), a new $34 million research center based at Cornell University. The center will focus on development of energy-efficient semiconductor materials and technologies.

Kai Ni, assistant professor of electrical and microelectronic engineering, was awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to improve computing memory through the use of ferroelectric materials and capacity.

Intelligent power and sensing technology corporation onsemi announced funding to Kate Gleason College of Engineering to support educational programming and research in advancing today’s semiconductor industry.

RIT is building upon its successful history of semiconductor development and research through an expansion to its cleanroom facility with help from New York state.

RIT will receive $2 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to update and expand its Semiconductor Fabrication Lab to accommodate research in semiconductor technologies and prepare the workforce for the growing domestic microelectronics manufacturing industry. The funding was included as part of the fiscal year 2023 omnibus funding package.

Microsystems engineering Ph.D. student Katelynn Fleming is hard at work making new discoveries on the moon. But her ultimate goal is to use technology to help all of us on Earth. Fleming recently won a 2022 NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity (NSTGRO) award and will work at NASA centers as part of the visiting technologist experiences.

Supply chain disruptions and a strong demand for consumer electronics during the pandemic led to a global chip shortage. The shortage has highlighted the need to strengthen the domestic semiconductor industry and has put a new emphasis on microelectronic engineering education.