Brigham Young University has announced it will receive a $320,000 donation from the Micron Technology Foundation. This donation will help fund microelectronics research and undergraduate training in the Fulton College of Engineering and Technology.
"We see this donation from Micron as an investment in our program and our students, many of whom go on to work in the microelectronics industry after graduation," said Aaron Hawkins, professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.
The donation will be paid out over the next four years in $80,000 annual installments. A portion of the gift is earmarked for maintaining the Integrated Microfabrication Lab, a clean room facility where both research and classroom instruction occurs. The remainder will help fund Intensive Mentoring Micro-Electronics Research for Students in Engineering (IMMERSE), an undergraduate mentoring program aimed at preparing students for careers and graduate studies in microelectronic fields.
"We've enjoyed a long-standing relationship with BYU, and we are pleased to continue supporting its efforts of increasing student awareness, interest and research in the field of microelectronics," said Scott DeBoer, Micron vice president of Process Research and Development. "The university's lab and IMMERSE program provide students with a unique hands-on experience in microelectronics, encouraging them to pursue graduate study and careers within the semiconductor industry."
In partnership with the Fulton College of Engineering and Technology, the Micron Foundation will also sponsor the first annual IMMERSE Symposium on Sept. 13. The symposium will provide a forum for the IMMERSE program undergraduate students to share their microelectronic research findings with an audience of industry experts and university officials.
IMMERSE was started in 2003 as part of a university-wide effort to increase undergraduate research. Since its inception, more than 50 undergraduate students have been employed by IMMERSE, with the majority of them publishing a scientific paper while in the program and continuing on to graduate studies.
The Micron Technology Foundation Inc., a private, nonprofit organization established in 1999 with a gift from Micron Technology Inc., is engaged in funding educational efforts and charitable activities. To learn more about the Micron Technology Foundation, visit its Web site at www.micron.com/foundation.
To learn more about the Integrated Microfabrication Lab, visit www.ece.byu.edu/cleanroom; to learn more about IMMERSE, visit www.ece.byu.edu/ugresearch/; and for more information regarding the Micron Technology Foundation donation or the IMMERSE Symposium, contact David Anthony at (801) 422-5780.
Writer: Aaron Searle
