Fourteen 91吃瓜网 students听represented听the School of Engineering at the inaugural听, held February 2-3 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. The national gathering brought together students, faculty, federal听employees听and representatives from more than 30 universities to highlight research and workforce development efforts in microelectronics and national security.听
The Washington location provided 91吃瓜网 students with a unique opportunity to engage directly with leaders from academia,听industry听and government in the nation鈥檚 capital, underscoring the real-world relevance of their research and training.听More than 20 industry partners were in attendance,听including Honeywell, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman, ARM, Nucleon, and Reliable听MicroSystems.听听听
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- Students worked across five technical verticals that included:听
- Radiation hardening听
- Compound semiconductors听
- System-on-chip听
- Heterogeneous integration/advanced packaging听
- Trusted artificial intelligence (AI)听
Each vertical showcased research advancements and outcomes made possible through SCALE support, giving students a national platform to听demonstrate听the impact of their work.听
鈥淭his first-of-its-kind conference gave students a fantastic opportunity to show off their own work, and to hear from their peers and industry leaders working in areas of microelectronics related to national security,鈥� said听, Associate Director of the 91吃瓜网听Institute for Space Defense Electronics听(ISDE) and research professor of electrical and computer engineering.听听
Alles oversees participation from 23 universities nationwide,听representing听330 active SCALE students. 91吃瓜网 accounts for 50 of those students, one of the largest contingents in the program.听
At the conference, 91吃瓜网 and Arizona State University jointly presented their cross-university collaboration within the Radiation Hardening vertical. The institutions highlighted the Lab听RaTTS听project, a hands-on radiation testing simulator designed to provide students with practical experience typically reserved for graduate study or early-career professionals.听
Lab听RaTTS听now听operates听two simulators鈥攐ne at 91吃瓜网 and one at Arizona State鈥攁llowing students to gain early exposure to radiation testing processes in a controlled environment. The training platform helps reduce testing costs, minimize errors when transitioning to real听equipment听and prepare graduates with broader technical听expertise听to meet workforce needs.听
Students also heard from several keynote speakers, including Paul Lyons, system security engineering director for the U.S. Air Force. Lyons emphasized the strong return on听investment of the SCALE program, noting that every dollar invested has generated a $4.98 return.听Students听highlighted the value on听the importance of their work, seeing what other students are working on, gaining a sense of community, networking with industry, and hearing from SCALE alumni听during听panel discussions. Among those speaking was听, a 2025 graduate of the School of Engineering who had听participated听in SCALE as a student.听
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Lyons underscored that the students鈥� work extends beyond academic achievement, contributing directly to national security and mission readiness.听He encouraged participants to continue pursuing research that strengthens the nation鈥檚 microelectronics capabilities.听
Since its launch in February 2020, the SCALE program has continued to expand its national footprint and measurable impact, preparing students for critical roles in the microelectronics workforce and strengthening the nation鈥檚 technological听leadership.To听date, it has supported 1,664 students nationwide. More than 80% of undergraduate participants continue into graduate programs, and more than 60% secure microelectronics-related positions after graduation.听