Clarkson University Launches Semiconductor Seminar Course in Partnership with Industry Executives
Clarkson University is partnering with semiconductor industry executives to launch a new one-credit seminar course, Introduction to Semiconductors, during the Spring 2025 Semester. The class will engage learners through weekly guest speakers on current trends such as AI, hyperscalers, advanced manufacturing, geo-political considerations, and the impact that semiconductors are having on diverse industries, including computing, consumer electronics, automotive, and aerospace.
“There’s never been a better time to be in semiconductor technology. Innovation is the lifeblood of our industry, and semiconductor devices are now the essential element in solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said AMD CTO and Executive Vice President Mark Papermaster. “The new seminar at Clarkson University will be a well-received initiative to help the next generation of engineers with the insights they need to successfully navigate the semiconductor industry.”
Papermaster; Rene Haas ‘84, CEO of Arm; Sanjay Mehta, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Teradyne; and Sumit Sadana, Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer of Micron are scheduled to be guest speakers.
Other guest speakers include Michael Campbell ‘79, Senior Vice President of Qualcomm; Drew DeLong, Global Lead of Geopolitical Dynamics at Kearney; Mark Dougherty ‘92, President and General Manager of Tokyo Electron America; Nakul Duggal, Group General Manager of Qualcomm; Christine Dunbar, Senior Vice President of Sales, IQE; Ken McAvey ‘97, M ‘08, Vice President and Fab 9 General Manager of GlobalFoundries; Christina Montgomery, Vice President, Chief Privacy and Trust Officer, IBM; and Raja Tabet, Senior Vice President of Synopsys, Inc.
Offered through Clarkson’s School of Engineering, the course will be open to graduate and upper-class undergraduates at Clarkson, including non-engineering majors. The course will be taught and moderated by Fram Akiki ‘86, President of Joun Technologies. Akiki has over 35 years of semiconductor industry experience, including executive assignments with IBM, Qualcomm, and Siemens.
For more information, contact Akiki at makiki@clarkson.edu.
