RIT Launches Microsystems Engineering Ph.D. Program

Rochester Institute of Technology received New York State Department of Education approval for its second Ph.D. program.

Winter quarter, which begins Dec. 2, will see the first students in RIT’s microsystems engineering doctoral program, the first of its kind in the nation, says Mustafa Abushagur, director of microsystems engineering research and education initiatives in RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering. Eleven students have been admitted to the program thus far.

Program strengths, Abushagur says, include expert faculty, high-quality students and strong external research support. "These, to me, are the qualities of a very successful program," he says.

Abushagur describes microsystems engineering as an "enabling technology" that enhances biomedical diagnostics and treatment, electronics, imaging, optical and wireless communication, and other telecommunications applications. The new program incorporates engineering studies in electrical, mechanical, optical, chemical, computer, industrial/systems, microelectronic and software disciplines, along with imaging science, materials science and product development.

Students will design and fabricate micro-, submicro- and nano-scale components and systems that use sensors, probes, lasers and actuators to sense, analyze and communicate within independent microsystems and with external sources. The program will emphasize "concept realization," or the real-life application of microsystems devices into fully functional products.

"This is a unique program," Abushagur says. "We expect to be the leading institution in this area."

Ph.D. recipients will gain opportunities in academe, government research facilities and industry, Abushagur says. "It opens a lot of doors for them. They’re capable of going out and solving real-life problems."

The program will be integral to RIT’s IT Collaboratory, created with $14 million from the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research. The IT Collaboratory was designated by NYSTAR as a Strategically Targeted Academic Research Center focusing on research into microsystem and photonics technologies for applications in next-generation information systems such as remote systems and high-bandwidth telecommunication networks.

Funding allows RIT to increase the size and capability of its Semiconductor and Microsystems Fabrication Laboratory. IT Collaboratory partners include the University at Buffalo, the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, the Infotonics Technology Center and industry.

"The microsystems engineering Ph.D. program will play a vital role in the success of RIT’s IT Collaboratory and First in Class Initiative," says Stanley McKenzie, RIT provost and vice president of academic affairs.

Doctoral candidates must complete 94 credit hours and a dissertation. Most will finish studies within three to five years, Abushagur says.

In support of the program, about 10 new courses will be created and faculty will be added to complement about 20 from RIT’s College of Engineering and College of Science now associated with the program.

The program is RIT’s second Ph.D. program, joining the imaging science doctoral program that was approved in 1988. RIT awarded its first Ph.D. in 1993.

Note: According to a national survey by U.S. News & World Report, RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering ranks sixth in the nation among undergraduate and graduate engineering programs, offering degrees in computer, electrical, industrial and systems, mechanical, and microelectronic engineering, applied statistics and engineering science. RIT was the first university to offer undergraduate degrees in microelectronic and software engineering.