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Indiana University launches pilot programs to boost women in semiconductor industry
Bloomington, Indiana – Indiana University will introduce new pilot programs aimed at encouraging more women and other underrepresented groups to join the semiconductor sector, which is crucial for both Indiana’s future and U.S. national security. This effort, funded with $2 million, is part of a broader national movement facilitated by the EDGE Consortium to make education in semiconductor fields more accessible and relevant to the needs of the industry.
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The initiative gains support from SCALE, the leading U.S. program for developing semiconductor industry skills within the defense sector. SCALE operates under the funding of the Department of Defense and is spearheaded by Purdue University. It is managed by NSWC Crane on behalf of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. This office is tasked with advancing groundbreaking technologies that support the Joint Force.
“Expanding the numbers and types of people pursuing careers in the semiconductor workforce is the only way we’re going to meet the nation’s demand for workers in this critical and expanding industry,” said IU President Pamela Whitten, who is co-chair of the EDGE Consortium. “This important work requires a concerted effort on the part of our nation’s leading research universities and IU is proud to be among those leading the charge.”
Joanna Millunchick, dean of the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, is at the helm of the new pilot programs at Indiana University. She is also a founding member of the EDGE Consortium.
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“The demand for workforce for the microelectronics industry is so great that our current population of STEM students is insufficient to meet it,” Millunchick said. “These new programs are designed to expand the pipeline by engaging women and other underrepresented populations, changing how we teach so that more students master the material, and supporting those who have committed to these fields so that they can be successful in their careers.”
The EDGE Consortium includes some of the top research universities in the country, where women hold positions as presidents and deans of engineering. Additionally, the initiative will back efforts spearheaded by Shalaunda Reeves at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. At Indiana University, the pilot programs are named EDGE X, EDGE Academy, and EDGE Works.
EDGE X
EDGE X, focusing on K-12 students, aims to draw pre-college youth into the semiconductor industry. It supports creating educational materials for teachers and a web series covering semiconductor-related topics. Alia Pope, a fourth-grade math and science teacher who is also popular online, has partnered with EDGE X to create these videos. The distribution of these videos will take place through social media and PBS affiliates nationwide, in collaboration with local public television stations.
EDGE Academy
EDGE Academy targets early undergraduate students, focusing on increasing retention in STEM fields by addressing challenges like course difficulty and unwelcoming environments. This initiative will involve updates to specific courses at the Luddy School, including updates to course materials, evaluations of classroom climates, and redesigns of learning experiences in collaboration with instructors. These actions are also set to provide extensive support for instructors and assess results using established metrics.
EDGE Works
Meanwhile, EDGE Works aims to equip individuals not pursuing college degrees with skills pertinent to the semiconductor industry, using an industry-driven curriculum. It has formed partnerships with the Regional Opportunity Initiatives and Ivy Tech Community College to create and distribute distributed learning courses. This initiative will also enhance existing programs such as the High School READI program, which links people to opportunities in roles like technicians, operators, and engineers within the semiconductor sector.
Additional efforts by the EDGE Consortium include the EDGE Scholars program, which strives to retain senior undergraduates and graduate students and support their transition into professional careers. Furthermore, expanding U.S. semiconductor research and manufacturing is a central goal of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act—a $280 billion bipartisan legislation co-led by U.S. Senator Todd Young from Indiana. Under this act, Indiana was recently designated as one of only eight new regional hubs for semiconductor production in the nation.
“Although the U.S. invented the semiconductor, it only produced 10 percent of the world’s supply, relying heavily on East Asia for global production, which poses economic and national security risks,” said Angela Lewis, technical director at NSWC Crane Division. “Diversifying and expanding the semiconductor workforce will meet both economic and security needs.”
The pilot phase of these programs will be funded through 2026. An initial progress report with leaders from the initiative is expected to occur in the fall.