West LA Times

A new center dedicated to training future microchip designers has been established at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. This initiative is part of a broader national effort to address workforce challenges in the U.S. semiconductor industry, supported by the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act.

UCLA Samueli is among seven initial recipients of funding from the National Semiconductor Technology Center’s Workforce Center of Excellence, as announced by the Biden-Harris administration on September 25. The school will receive $11.5 million for this purpose.

Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, Dean at UCLA Samueli, expressed honor in being selected for this role: “We are honored that UCLA has been selected to be the home for the new Center for Education of Microchip Designers.” She added that they look forward to training a crucial talent pool of integrated circuit designers and engineers.

The newly established Center for Education of Microchip Designers (CEMiD) will be led by Behzad Razavi, a professor at UCLA Samueli specializing in electrical and computer engineering. The center will receive $2 million over two years to provide extensive training in analog- and digital-chip design to both students and practicing engineers.

In collaboration with co-principal investigators from Carnegie Mellon University, University of Hawaii, University of Notre Dame, and Stanford University, CEMiD aims to equip hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students nationwide with skills necessary for designing, fabricating, and testing chips. The program also seeks to foster industry connections to build a sustainable workforce development ecosystem within the U.S. microchip sector.

U.S. Representative Ted Lieu praised UCLA's achievement: “I am pleased to congratulate UCLA on this well-deserved funding and anticipated establishment of CEMiD to continue our nation’s leadership in semiconductor development.” He emphasized that the program would enhance the microchip industry by preparing future researchers and developers while supporting their educators.