MOUNT VERNON – As Intel officially breaks ground on new fabrication facilities in Central Ohio, Mount Vernon Nazarene University announced two partnerships that will prepare faculty to teach new skills and expose students to real-life experiences in semiconductor and semiconductor-related manufacturing.
In collaboration with Kent State University, MVNU students will receive hands-on technical training in semiconductor technology and cleanroom protocols. These learning opportunities will be accomplished through intensive summer institutes, hybrid immersive experiences and virtual reality simulations.
MVNU engineering students will also receive extensive hands-on training in semiconductor manufacturing-related technology and coursework through the Ohio-southwest Alliance on Semiconductors and Integrated Scalable-Manufacturing (OASIS), which includes institutions such as the University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, University of Dayton and Miami University. The partnerships with OASIS will be similar to KSU in the aspects of curriculum development, laboratory resource sharing and student experiential opportunities. However, OASIS will also put focus on preparing university faculty to teach new, cutting-edge skills.
Both the KSU-led and OASIS programs are approved and supported through Intel’s Semiconductor Education and Research Program for Ohio. The company established and funded the program to promote real-world experience and innovation in semiconductor manufacturing.
As Intel’s investment in Central Ohio dominates economic conversations, it also intensifies the interest in, and benefits of, an engineering degree.
“The word ‘engineer’ means ‘to create,’ and thus the engineering profession allows creativity and innovation to plan, design and build products, structures, facilities, systems and processes beneficial to humankind,” said Dr. Jose Oommen, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Engineering Department Chair. “For someone who loves problem solving and wants to make a difference in the world, engineering is definitely one of the top majors to select. Furthermore, the profession is very lucrative. According to 2021 data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for engineers is close to six figures and over.”
Intel has committed to hiring 3,000 employees by 2025 including 2,100 technicians, 750 engineers and 150 in administration/management roles.
“We are thrilled that we can continue to provide our students a person-centered, Christian, liberal arts engineering education at MVNU that now, through our partnerships with larger universities, also provides them with high-level technical experiences that will prepare them for a successful career at Intel,” Couts said.
