News
Microsystems Engineering Ph.D.

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.

Research findings and signs of computer chip industry demands were the top subjects at the 40th Annual Microelectronic Engineering Conference April 8 at RIT. With indications of growth and novel functions being developed, there were also discussions of the pressing need for even more skilled workers in the field to sustain that expected growth.

RIT’s team will develop the technology needed for a point-of-care diagnostics system built on integrated photonics. Capable of accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, the new system could reduce the need for expensive equipment and specialized expertise to better inform care decisions in underserved, resource-limited communities.

WROC-TV talks to Sean Rommel, professor and director of the microelectronic engineering program, and Michael Jackson, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering, about semiconductors.

The Kate Gleason College of Engineering was awarded a $1 million Higher Education Capital Matching Grant (HECAP) from New York state. The award will be used to upgrade and expand the college’s cleanroom facility to accommodate the growth of research in biomedical technologies such as drug delivery and lab-on-chip devices.

Researchers from RIT and national photonic device company, AdvR Inc., built a quantum chip prototype that is bridging today’s traditional fiber optic networks with the future—quantum computing networks.

As one of the leading causes of death in hospitals, sepsis becomes more complicated with the rise in bacteria most resistant to some of today’s antibiotics. If physicians can detect onset earlier, treatments could begin sooner. Ke Du, a mechanical engineering faculty-researcher, will be developing a microfluidic device to improve detection of drug resistant bacteria in blood.

President Joe Biden recently called for more resources to bolster the computer chip industry to meet consumer and commercial demands. Lynn Fuller has done more than his share to provide assets for this important industry. Fuller established the first microelectronic engineering program in the country in 1982 at RIT, and today many program graduates lead efforts at the top microchip firms advising the president.

More than 50 students are expected to earn their Ph.D. degrees by the end of June. The hooding ceremony, which will also include Ph.D. recipients in the class of 2020, is May 15.

Alumnus Nick Conn’s vision for a one-of-a-kind smart toilet seat that will improve the health of people around the world has made giant leaps toward becoming a reality with the help of one of RIT’s most generous patrons, Austin McChord.