Tag Archives: award

New NSF award funded: Diverse Internships for Semiconductor Careers in the Portland Metro Area

Portland State University received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish an innovative program aimed at preparing diverse cohorts of students for careers in the rapidly growing semiconductor industry.

The launch of the Diverse Internships for Semiconductor Careers, or DISC, program reinforces Portland State’s commitment to equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and its role as a key player in Oregon’s thriving Silicon Forest ecosystem. As the program develops, it aims to serve as a model for other institutions seeking to bridge the gap between academia and industry while promoting diversity in high-tech fields.

The DISC program will be led by Andrea Goforth, professor of chemistry, Christof Teuscher, professor in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Jennifer Lindwall, associate director of the Center for Internships, Mentoring, and Research (CIMR). The trio brings a combined expertise in nanomaterials research, computational modeling, and student success initiatives that will guide the program’s development and implementation.

This program will provide 56 high-quality, paid internship placements over three years for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in STEM fields. This effort directly addresses the critical workforce shortages and lack of diversity in the semiconductor industry, aligning with national goals of restoring American leadership in microchip development and manufacturing.

DISC will collaborate with major industry partners, including Intel, Siemens EDA, Andes Technology, Moses Lake Industries, and ams-OSRAM USA. These partnerships ensure that internships are aligned with current industry needs and provide students with real-world experience in cutting-edge semiconductor technology. DISC will be looking for additional partners as the program progresses.

Press release: https://www.pdx.edu/news/psu-awarded-nsf-grant-launch-innovative-semiconductor-internship-program

For more information about the DISC program and how to apply, please visit the program’s web page or email disc@pdx.edu.

Sandy wins best poster award

tlab PhD student Sandy Dash wins the “Best Poster: Best Communication” award at the 2024 ECE PhD Day for her poster “Generalized Prediction of Running Performance for Various Distances and Elevation Gains.” Congrats!

Nesara wins National Aspirations in Computing Award

tlab intern Nesara Shree won a National Aspirations in Computing Award from the National Center for Women in Computing (NCWIT).

Each year, U.S. high school students in grades 9 through 12 who are women, genderqueer, or non-binary are eligible to receive recognition for their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education. This year, 40 winners and 360 honorable mentions were selected from more than 3,300 amazing, talented young applicants.

Samyak named top 300 Scholar in the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)

The Society for Science announced that tlab intern Samyak Shrimali has been named a top 300 Scholar in the 82nd Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors.


Regeneron STS recognizes and empowers the most promising young scientists in the U.S. who are creating the ideas and solutions that solve our most urgent challenges. A listing of all 300 Scholars can be found here ; a total of 1,949 students around the country entered the competition this year.  Each scholar will receive $2,000, and their schools will also receive $2,000 to use toward STEM-related activities.