News: Microelectronics
27 January 2021
SUNY Poly students receive Cree | Wolfspeed Scholarships
State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) has joined Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA in congratulating 11 SUNY Poly students who were announced as recipients of the newly established, merit-based ‘Cree | Wolfspeed Scholarship’ program. The scholarships aim to ensure that students who come from historically underserved or marginalized communities, as well as those with significant financial need, will have critical access to the educational opportunities that can pave the way toward successful careers in the high-tech workforce.
“Cree is committed to providing students in our communities with the opportunity to excel through STEM education initiatives,” said Cree | Wolfspeed chief technology officer John Palmour.
“This scholarship not only highlights Cree’s commitment to innovation-based education but it also further facilitates these students’ academic careers as they pursue their educational dreams and the growing opportunities in the Mohawk Valley and beyond,” said SUNY Poly acting president Dr Tod Laursen.
The commitment from Cree includes a $2m scholarship program over 10 years, with this cohort of awardees receiving a total of $46,000. Students receiving the scholarship must be interested in pursuing a position in the semiconductor industry upon graduation. They must be committed to working hard, willing to collaborate, have a passion for innovation, and reflect the Cree values of integrity and respect, ownership and accountability, and ingenuity and passion, states the firm.
The students must also be enrolled in one of the following SUNY Poly academic programs: Computer Engineering Technology; Electrical & Computer Engineering; Electrical Engineering Technology; Mechanical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering Technology; Nanoscale Engineering; or Network & Computer Security.
As part of the scholarship, the recipients, first-year and sophomore students may be offered paid internships and will be assigned a Cree | Wolfspeed mentor, in addition to being able to attend the annual SUNY Poly and Cree | Wolfspeed Scholarship Mixer.
The initiative is also complementary to the recent announcement of the Dr John Edmond and Dr John Palmour SUNY Polytechnic Institute Endowed Faculty Chairs. The five-year, $1.5m funding underpins the continued expansion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) opportunities for students at SUNY Poly.
As announced in September 2019, Cree is developing the world’s largest 200mm-capable silicon carbide (SiC) fabrication facility (the Mohawk Valley Fab) in Marcy, New York, and has committed to creating more than 600 new jobs within eight years as well as providing internships for SUNY students as part of its presence. The efforts aim to develop an advanced manufacturing-oriented workforce development initiative across the SUNY system to prepare a 21st century workforce for the long-term, high-quality employment and advancement opportunities that the new facility will present.
Recently, eight students from SUNY Poly took part in internships with Cree. The company also donated $25,000 to the SUNY Poly Foundation in November 2019 to invest in and expand in SUNY Poly’s STEM programs.
