As part of their Scholars program, the EDGE Consortium recently brought together eleven exceptional students for an immersive site visit to Burlington, Vermont, offering firsthand exposure to the cutting edge of semiconductor research and manufacturing. The trip featured visits to GlobalFoundries, one of the world's leading semiconductor foundries; Marvell Technology; and two specialized semiconductor research laboratories at the University of Vermont (UVM).

A coalition of 14 leading academic institutions united by a shared mission to develop the next generation of talent for the semiconductor and microelectronics industry. The Consortium’s flagship Scholars program identifies high-potential undergraduate and graduate students and connects them with industry partners, research experiences, and professional development opportunities designed to build the diverse, skilled workforce that the semiconductor sector demands.

The students participating in this recent visit represented six distinguished universities across the nation: the University of Rochester, the University of Iowa, Colorado School of Mines, the University of California-Berkeley, Indiana University, and Brown University. Together, they engaged with industry professionals and academic researchers to gain insight into the full semiconductor pipeline — from foundational university research to large-scale commercial fabrication.

“This visit gave our Scholars a rare opportunity to see the semiconductor ecosystem in action — from university laboratory to global manufacturer — and to understand the vital role this industry plays in our nation’s technological future.” 

Lesley Nesbitt, Program Director

At GlobalFoundries' Fab 9 facility in Essex Junction, Vermont — one of the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing sites in the United States — students toured state-of-the-art fabrication operations and learned about the complex processes behind modern chip production. The visit to Marvell Technology further illustrated how semiconductor design and innovation drive the development of next-generation connectivity and data infrastructure solutions.

The students also visited two semiconductor research laboratories at the University of Vermont, experiencing the critical role that academic research plays in advancing the field. 

Their first stop was to the Device Characterization Testing Lab where Assistant Professor Jackson Anderson and Senior Lecturer Tony Barsic were joined by Electrical Engineering seniors Aria Lindberg and Ryan Anderson to provide a tour of the facility. Established in 2023 with state-of-the-art equipment donated by GlobalFoundries, the lab has transformed the semiconductor curriculum at the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS), helping to prepare students like Lindberg and Anderson for careers in the semiconductor industry.

Following graduation, both students have secured prized internships at GlobalFoundries—Lindberg in lithography and Anderson in Gallium Nitride (GaN) Technology Development—before returning to UVM in the fall for graduate program studies.

The visiting EDGE Consortium students then traveled to the University’s FabLab where an ever-expanding suite of fabrication equipment is extensively used in the engineering and creation of prototype solutions for electrical and mechanical engineering projects in the Senior Experience in Engineering Design (SEED) capstone course.

In addition to highlighting UVM’s contributions to semiconductor science, these lab tours provided the visiting students with an opportunity to connect with faculty researchers and both undergraduate and graduate students working at the frontier of materials and device development.

The EDGE Consortium

Focused on creating opportunities for industry and academia to collaborate on training early-career professionals, the EDGE Consortium is a coalition of 14 leading academic institutions united by a shared mission to develop the next generation of talent for the semiconductor and microelectronics industry. Member institutions include Dartmouth College, Indiana University, University of Rochester, Brown University, University of Washington, University of California-Berkeley, Olin College of Engineering, Boise State University, University of Iowa, Prairie View A&M University, San Jose State University, Colorado School of Mines, University of Vermont, and University of Tennessee.