September 14, 2024

Eleven universities, including Boise State, are forging international ties with the University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research and Development in Semiconductors for the Future (UPWARDS) program. UPWARDS is an international semiconductor program funded by Micron, Tokyo Electron, and the National Science Foundation.

The UPWARDS program aims to empower the next generation of female engineers and address the gender gap in the tech sector. To help promote these goals, UPWARDS hosted a leadership workshop for women in the semiconductor industry. Three outstanding students from Boise State’s College of Engineering were selected to attend. The participants were chosen based on their academic excellence, leadership potential, and commitment to advancing women in STEM.

The small group of semiconductor scholars included Sivagya KC, a junior in Electrical Engineering; Icelene Leong, a PhD student in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering; and Sumona Islam, a master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering who is also earning the ECE Department’s new Semiconductor Emphasis for grad students when she graduates this December.

Sivagya KC savored every moment of the opportunity. “I’m so grateful to have participated in the UPWARDS Summer camp,” she said. “I gained valuable insights, enjoyed engaging activities, ate great food, and connected with incredible women from multiple universities in the semiconductor industry.”

The three-day workshop in Karuizawa included roundtable discussions, a factory tour, and team-building activities. Top students, researchers, and professionals from the US and Japan showcased their talents in semiconductor design, electronics, and nanotechnology.

Dr. Kurtis Cantley, an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, leads the UPWARDS efforts at Boise State in partnership with the Institute for Microelectronics Education and Research. Dr. Cantley is confident that this experience and others like it will have a lasting impact on the students.

“The UPWARDS for the Future program is a unique opportunity for Boise State students and faculty to interface with top universities in the US and Japan,” says Cantley. “The semiconductor industry is at the heart of technological innovation, and gaining new insights on workforce development and research collaborations is tremendous. We’re incredibly proud of our students and excited to see how this experience will shape their professional trajectory.”

The UPWARDS workshop wasn’t just an educational opportunity, it was an inspiring moment for the students who attended. Connecting with a community of like-minded women, these students not only advanced their technical knowledge but also built a network of support and inspiration. Their participation in the workshop underscores the importance of inclusivity and diversity in STEM, paving the way for a future where all voices are heard and valued in the pursuit of scientific advancement. As these students return to their respective institutions, the impact of this workshop will undoubtedly resonate, fueling their ambitions and contributions to the semiconductor industry and beyond.

August 22, 2024

HENRIETTA, N.Y. (WROC) — Since the passage of the federal CHIPS Act, New York has seen significant investment in the semiconductor industry from a recent $40 million into the 1-90 Semiconductor Highway to Micron’s future mega-fab near Syracuse.

But this infrastructure needs workers, and an international exchange program between the US and Japan — started at the G7 Summit in 2023 — called “Upwards” looks to address the global need.

Locally, Micron’s mega fab plans to hire 9,000 workers, all of kinds.

“They need technicians, engineers, scientists, all the way from high school education, all the way up through PhD degrees,” said Karl Hirschman of RIT. He’s the Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering and Director of Microelectronic Engineering at RIT.

Upwards is funded by Micron and the National Science Foundation. Six US universities, including RIT, and five Japanese universities are participating.

In this two-week intensive, students and faculty from Kyushu and Nagoya Universities attend lectures at RIT, and get an inside look into RIT’s hands-on, workforce development approach.

“Japan is a leading country in the world in semiconductor technology,” says Jing Zhang, Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering. “If we could get feedback from them, on how to shape our own educational program better… It’s a win-win situation.”

The faculty of the universities in Japan said the access to the companies funding this program has been vital, and it’s a chance for their students to grow as well.

“It’s good for them to experience what other students are studying in another field, because now we are in a place where we need to do cross-disciplinary research,” said Emanuel Leleito, a professor of architecture engineering at Nagoya University.

All told, RIT, Kyushu, and Nagoya Universities believe this program will help talented people fill these spots around the globe.

“We’re trying to target the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, get the students excited about the technology, and perhaps some of the studies in the upwards program, might end up coming to RIT,” said Hirschman.

The technology isn’t the only part to get excited about: these are high-paying jobs. RIT says that a graduate of their semiconductor program can expect to make around $80,000 in their first job.

June, 27 2024

Associate Professor Kurtis Cantley of Boise State University, a U.S. participant in UPWARDS, a semiconductor human resource development project involving 11 U.S. and Japanese universities including Hiroshima University (HU), visited the Higashi-Hiroshima Campus of HU. During his visit, Professor Cantley was guided by Professor Suguru Kameda of the Research Institute for Semiconductor Engineering on a tour of the institute's facilities.

Professor Shin-ichiro Kuroki and Professor Hideki Goto from the institute joined the meeting afterward to introduce the research results of both sides on semiconductors and to exchange views on expanding research collaborations in the future.

We hope that this visit will be an opportunity to further expand the efforts of UPWARDS projects and academic exchange between the two universities.

April 22, 2024

UPWARDS 11 University partners gathered at Purdue University for a whirlwind planning and organizing conference. Representatives from U.S. and Japanese Universities, alongside Micron, TEL, and the National Science Foundation, met to continue their critical work in expanding the semiconductor workforce in industry and academia. 

April 22, 2024

The University of Washington is at the forefront of an international effort to innovate the semiconductor industry while building a skilled U.S.-based workforce to design and manufacture chip technology.

Part of a landmark education partnership that was announced in May 2023 at the G7 meeting in Japan, the effort brings together researchers and faculty from the U.S. and Japan to support the University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors (UPWARDS) for the Future project. Micron Technology and Tokyo Electron Limited, as founding industry partners, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and universities together are investing over $60 million for the five-year project. Many of the participants are attending kick-off activities at the UW this week.

“With our University’s proven track record of using public research investment to spur economic and technological growth, the UW is excited to be taking the lead in expanding our capacity to educate professionals and drive discovery in the critical field of semiconductors,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce. “We’re grateful to Senator Cantwell for her leadership and for the collaboration of our partners.”

 Modern technology — including household appliances, automobiles, computers and defense systems — relies on semiconductors. The semiconductor was invented in the U.S., yet today the U.S. produces about only 10% of the world’s supply. Recognizing the economic and national security risks this poses, U.S. policymakers passed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) & Science Act in 2022 to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem.

“Our nation’s success in advanced technologies depends on having a skilled workforce. The University of Washington will help establish the Pacific Northwest as a leader by training the more than 90,000 students, faculty, and skilled professionals needed to build the most advanced chips right here in the United States,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who was instrumental in passing the landmark CHIPS & Science bill. “If we want to lead the world tomorrow, we must invest in worker training today.”

Boise, Ida.-based Micron and the partner universities will jointly recruit new faculty members, named as UPWARDS Professors, who will work on high-impact research projects with the industry partners. In addition to their research responsibilities, UPWARDS Professors will also contribute to curriculum development and other UPWARDS for the Future activities, including advising exchange students and graduate fellows. The first cohort of UPWARDS professors, all women, will also participate in industry-led mentoring programs to help gain valuable insights supporting in the advancement of their own careers. The grants will also support graduate fellowships and provide research experiences for undergraduate students.

Initiatives like UPWARDS for the Future prioritize expanding the STEM talent pipeline to reach groups that are underrepresented in the semiconductor industry today. This vision for UPWARDS for the Future aligns with UW efforts to close the STEM gender gap, establish pathways into higher education and facilitate new programs dedicated to attracting and retaining historically underrepresented groups. President Cauce and College of Engineering Dean Nancy Albritton are members of the national Education Group for Diversification and Growth in Engineering Consortium, or EDGE. And, last summer, the UW joined the Northwest University Semiconductor Network, led by Micron, to grow the next generation of semiconductor experts, by enhancing experiential learning opportunities in the semiconductor industry, and prioritizing access for underrepresented students, particularly in rural and tribal communities.

“We are proud to be part of this innovation partnership and to lead the NSF grant for UPWARDS. As Washington state’s leading educator of engineers and as a leader in chip engineering and workforce development for the global innovation economy, it is an honor to work collaboratively with academic and industry partners to drive advancements in this crucial scientific field,” Albritton said.

In addition to the UW, the UPWARDS for the Future partnership includes five U.S. institutions: Boise State, Purdue, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology and Virginia Tech; and five Japanese universities: Hiroshima University, Kyushu University, Nagoya University, Tohoku University and Tokyo Institute of Technology. The UW will share the $10 million NSF grant with the five U.S. institutions, while Micron’s and Tokyo Electron’s $20 million gifts will be shared among the 11 U.S. and Japanese institutions.

“The UPWARDS for the Future program sets a prime model of government-industry-academia partnership, propelling the development of the U.S. semiconductor technology workforce. This initiative stands out with an emphasis on international collaboration, providing students with invaluable insights and experience into the industry’s international supply chain dynamics,” said Mo Li, UW professor of both electrical and computer engineering and physics, as well as a faculty member of the UW Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems. Li will lead UW’s efforts supporting UPWARDS for the Future.

The UPWARDS program includes five pillar activities, including: Semiconductor Curriculum Design and Implementation; Expanding Women Workforces in Semiconductors; Experiential Learning; US-Japan International Student Faculty Exchange; and Memory-centric Research Projects. At this week’s workshop, the 11 institutions aim to establish across-the-board plans on student exchange, curriculum sharing and standardization, and research collaboration.

Semiconductor engineering is the second strategic university-corporate partnership initiative concluded between American and Japanese academic institutions and the corporate sector since May 2022, when President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a commitment to advance U.S.-Japan science and technology cooperation. The UW also is the lead partner on the Cross Pacific AI Hub partnership announced on April 10, to lead innovation and technological breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Both UPWARDS for the Future and the Cross Pacific AI Hub are cornerstones of the UW’s global impact, building lasting relationships with peer institutions and industry on both sides of the Pacific to support UW students, faculty and staff on work to address critical issues.

April 22, 2024

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Leaders from industry, government and academia convened at a summit Tuesday (April 18) in Washington, D.C. to forge national solutions at scale to address the future of U.S. innovation in microelectronics and the semiconductor workforce.

The  full-day CHIPS for America: Execute for Success Summit in Washington, D.C., led by Purdue and U.S. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., convened hundreds of attendees representing over 175 entities from over 23 states, and focused on strategies to execute the vision outlined in the recently released CHIPS for America: Vision for Success. It highlighted the implementation of federal investments and future policy actions, and facilitated the creation of government, industry and academic partnerships with a special focus on workforce development and research innovation.

President Mung Chiang and chief semiconductor officer Mark Lundstrom represented Purdue, which partnered with SEMI, the Semiconductor Industry Association and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, to host the summit.

Keynoting the day, Chiang led a fireside chat with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Sen. Young, and several panel discussions featured leaders from industry, government and academia sharing their perspectives on how to best execute the vision for CHIPS Act workforce development and R&D programs.

“This is our silicon moment, to execute the CHIPS Act for success,” Chiang said. “As we celebrate the 75 years since the invention of transistor in Bell Labs, we can only imagine what the next 75 years of semiconductors innovation might look like.”

Raimondo, who visited Purdue in fall 2022 along with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said at the summit: “I was blown away by what I saw when I visited Purdue, in so far as, in my assessment, it is exactly what the United States needs to be doing. Real robust partnering as between top research universities, like Purdue, and industry, but also the integration of community colleges and also high schools.”

She added: “More people need to continue to do what Purdue is doing: allowing students class credit for applied work at companies, allowing companies to come into the universities, making sure that the students are job ready when they graduate.

Reflecting on last September’s visit to Purdue by Raimondo and Blinken, Young said, “There’s a lot of excitement in the air about what might follow. … What I’ve been encouraged about on the back end of that gathering is that our state has really operationalized many of the opportunities. We’re putting together a tech-hub package. Purdue University and some other institutions are developing new workforce training programs for these key sectors. Indiana is really poised to play a (significant) role as it relates to semiconductors but also any of the other emerging technologies that we need to invest in.”

Other speakers at the summit included Ramin Toloui, assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State; Dr. Dev Shenoy, principal director of microelectronics with the U.S. Department of Defense; Dr. Eric Lin, interim director, CHIPS Research and Development, U.S. Department of Commerce; and Dr. Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director of the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships at the National Science Foundation, as well as leaders from Applied Materials, Everspin Technologies, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Intel, Micron, SEMI, the Semiconductor Industry Association, Semiconductor Research Corporation, and SkyWater. They shared their perspectives on the challenges ahead, ways to measure progress and how to sustain the effort over the long term. Barbara Snyder, President of the Association of American Universities, made concluding remarks about the multiple roles a leading research university like Purdue plays in the success of CHIPS Act.

April 18, 2024

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Esther Wertz, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, has been appointed Rensselaer’s faculty fellow of UPWARDS for the Future. UPWARDS stands for the U.S.-Japan University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors. It was established in May 2023 by Micron and Tokyo Electron Limited to “to bring together 11 universities from across the U.S. and Japan to develop leading semiconductor curricula, creating opportunities for cross-collaboration.”

Wertz will play an important role in the engagement and support of Rensselaer’s activities under the UPWARDS for the Future program. The programmatic pillars are women in semiconductors, curriculum design, experiential learnings, memory-centric semiconductor research, and student and faculty exchanges.

“I’m excited to contribute to the UPWARDS for the Future program at Rensselaer,” said Wertz. “Developing a highly skilled and diverse semiconductor workforce is a priority — for Rensselaer, the region, the state, and our nation. I look forward to working with students, faculty, and our partners to motivate, inspire, and prepare the next generation of semiconductor experts.”

The appointment is for two years, and is renewable for up to five years, and includes funding for at least one graduate student traineeship over the duration of the program. Wertz will collaborate with Japanese universities including spending time onsite, and may host Japanese researchers in her laboratory with support from the grant.

“Our participation in UPWARDS is a key pillar of our microelectronics strategy at Rensselaer,” said Robert Hull, Ph.D., Rensselaer vice president for research. “I look forward, with the leadership of Dr. Wertz and many other faculty at Rensselaer, to our ever-growing impact in semiconductor workforce development, research, and curricula.”

October 17, 2023

UPWARDS 11 University partners gathered at Purdue University for a whirlwind planning and organizing conference. Representatives from U.S. and Japanese Universities, alongside Micron, TEL, and the National Science Foundation, met for the first time to lay the foundation for the program moving forward.  More Content to follow.

May 21, 2023 

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Micron Technology, Inc., the largest foreign investor in Japan over the last five years, today announced the launch of the U.S.-Japan University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors (UPWARDS) for the Future. Aimed at cultivating a more robust and highly-skilled semiconductor workforce for the two countries, the partnership will drive emerging research while increasing the pipeline of students studying a semiconductor curriculum. U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Keiko Nagaoka presided over the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), marking a step forward in advancing U.S.-Japan technological competitiveness and resilience.

 UPWARDS for the Future, established by Micron and other industry partners, brings together 11 universities from across the U.S. and Japan to develop leading semiconductor curricula, creating opportunities for cross-collaboration. The founding universities are known for their high-quality education and proven commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) and closing the gender equity gap in STEM, which is crucial to building the industry’s workforce of the future. 

Growing the STEM talent pipeline requires reaching groups that are underrepresented in the semiconductor industry today. UPWARDS for the Future intends to establish pathways into higher education and facilitate new programs dedicated to attracting and retaining those historically underrepresented groups, in addition to supporting the efforts partner institutions have undertaken to date. 

“Leading in next-generation technologies requires developing a next-generation workforce,” said Rahm Emanuel, United States Ambassador to Japan. “Semiconductors are critical to our economy and to our security, and the UPWARDS for the Future program will enable the United States and Japan, as allies and economic partners, to build that workforce.” 

More than $60 million in contributions over the next five years from a variety of sources, including Micron and its partners, will go towards supporting the launch and implementation of this innovative program, which deepens ties between industry and higher education across the U.S. and Japan. The network, expected to impact approximately 5,000 students per year, will provide access to experiential learning in cleanrooms and memory-related research across institutions, with a particular focus on promoting opportunities for female students, staff and leaders.

 “UPWARDS for the Future reflects Micron’s long-term commitment to strengthening the semiconductor ecosystems in the U.S. and Japan. Building and sustaining advanced memory semiconductor leadership requires a robust workforce from diverse backgrounds,” said Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. “Micron is proud to be at the forefront of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite leading educational institutions and foster greater technology innovation.”