NSF Award
2322699
As the U.S. ramps up its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity, a strong, diverse, domestic microelectronics industry workforce is needed. To address this urgent need, the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) is partnering with two regional community colleges (CC) — the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) and Montgomery College (MC), and regional industrial technology partners to expand the pool of research- and industry-ready students by creating a new, project-based, experiential learning program for second-year community college students in microelectronics. Specifically, the focus will be on projects in emerging and novel technologies critical for competitive future careers in microelectronics. Electrical and Computer Engineering programs in Community Colleges serve a diverse population, and providing new training opportunities can significantly support underrepresented students in transferring to 4-year degree programs, boosting their career potential. The transition from a local community college to a 4-year degree university program is often difficult due to many interrelated reasons (e.g., being first generation, lack of mentorship and sense of inclusion, financial challenges etc.) and this project seeks to provide the needed support and experiential learning pathway from academic research to industrial internships for students that seek careers in this rapidly expanding technical area. This project will unite and coordinate regional educators and industrial partners to create a more equitable, efficient, educational pathway that serves the national need for a strong microelectronics workforce to solve the problems of tomorrow.<br/> <br/>The Democratizing Research and Experiential Education for Microelectronics (DREEM) team will carry out an 8-month experiential learning project for second-year community-college students in Electrical Engineering to provide critical technical skills and career-advancing opportunities that includes: a focused 3-week practical workshop on targeted design skills, a semester-long, hands-on research project with University of Maryland, College Park faculty to develop laboratory skills, and a summer internship with industrial partners. With a focus on emerging technologies such as manufacturing of biosensors, neuromorphic signal processing circuits, and machine learning, this project will be emphasizing skills important for the next generation of designers. Students will be individually co-mentored by faculty from the University of Maryland, College Park and local community college faculty with advising activities such as hands-on research projects, resume preparation, and internship applications. DREEM students will also have access to advanced laboratories and facilities at both the University of Maryland, College Park and the USMSM (University System of Maryland, Southern Maryland) Southern Maryland Autonomous Research and Technology (SMART) Building including the state-of-the-art Maryland Autonomous Technologies Research Innovation and eXploration (MATRIX) Lab in Southern Maryland for research. Multiple in-person events will bring the student cohort, faculty, and industry partners together for brainstorming and the creation of personal relationships that are critical for professional development and guidance. To ensure inclusive participation of students with financial needs, each stage of the experiential learning project will be funded at a competitive hourly rate. The effectiveness of preparing students for industry will be guided by an Advisory Board that enables direct input from the industry stakeholders as well as perspectives from engineering education advocacy and diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. Evaluation of the project will be performed by an experienced Education Research Specialist from the University of Maryland Teaching and Learning Transformation Center. This project aligns with the NSF ExLENT Program, funded by the NSF TIP and EDU Directorates, as it seeks to support experiential learning opportunities for individuals from diverse professional and educational backgrounds to increase their interest in, and their access to, career pathways in emerging technology fields.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
