Intel Semiconductor Education Program at Central State University (ISEP-CSU):

Team members:

Mohammadreza Hadizadeh¹ (Lead-PI), Mahmoud A. Abdallah¹, Emdad Ahmed¹, Abayomi J. Ajayi-Majebi¹, Osama Aljarrah⁶, Fathi Amsaad⁵, Steven Bibyk⁴, Vamsi Borra⁶, Elliot Brown⁵, Deng Cao¹, Xiaowei Chen², Frank A. Fuller³, Subhashini Ganapathy⁵, Richard Hartmann³, Mubbashar Altaf Khan¹, Morakinyo A.O. Kuti¹, Frank Li⁶, Ivan Medvedev⁵, Vic Middleton⁵, Arunasalam Rahunanthan¹, Michael L. Raymer⁵, Saiyu Ren⁵, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan⁵, Amir Zadeh⁵, Yan Zhuang⁵.
¹Central State University (CSU),
²Cedarville University (CU),
³Stark State College (SSC),
⁴The Ohio State University (OSU),
⁵Wright State University (WSU),
⁶Youngstown State University (YSU).

With the rise of technology and the increasing demand for chips in various fields, the semiconductor industry has been facing several challenges, including a shortage of skilled workers. By providing funding and resources for education and training, Intel aims to address this shortage and ensure a steady supply of skilled workers to support the growth and competitiveness of the industry. Based on that, Intel has recently established a Semiconductor Education and Research Program for Ohio universities to train the technical workforce needed for its Ohio $20B semiconductor chip factories, set to start production in 2025. Intel has committed $50 million to Ohio higher education institutions over the next decade, and the first phase involves funding $17.7 million for eight leading institutions over three years. Central State University is leading one of the funded projects, collaborating with six other universities and community colleges to provide diverse semiconductor workforce training. The project will focus on curriculum development, laboratory equipment upgrades, and student experiential opportunities. The objectives include: i.) Developing a minor program in computer hardware technology and a certificate program in semiconductor processing; ii.) Establishing undergraduate level Microfabrication and simulation Labs for experiential learning opportunities; iii.) Summer internships for underrepresented students in the semiconductor field. Each summer, ten female and underrepresented minority students will go through internships and training in semiconductors to learn about Digital Microelectronics, Microelectronics Fabrication & Security, Printer Circuit Boards Fabrication and Design, and cleanroom training. The lab work will provide practical skills learning in areas such as fabrication and processing, operations and designs, system optimization, AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, and Visualization. With the assistance of partnering institutions, CSU expects to produce 100 certificate and associate degree graduates at the end of the project, with plans for sustainability in place after grant funding expires.