RICHMOND, VA - Today, Governor Glenn Youngkin applauded the launch of Micron's Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Semiconductor Network and a new partnership with Micron, GlobalFoundries, and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) that will put Funding opportunities are available to MSIs across the country, including Norfolk State University, Hampton University and Virginia State University.
"Micron has been a valued corporate partner to Virginia's education system, with a long history of investing in Virginia's HBCUs, including its support of Micron-Norfolk State University's nanomanufacturing clean room," said Governor Glenn Youngkin . "Private sector leadership is critical to bringing STEM opportunities and innovation to our higher education institutions, and Micron's latest announcement is another demonstration of its commitment to expanding opportunities, increasing access, and embracing innovation in Virginia."
โMicron is investing in people and partnerships to expose students of all backgrounds to opportunities they would not otherwise have. The inclusion of three local HBCUs in Micronโs MSI Semiconductor Network further reinforces our long-standing support of education in Virginia,โ said April Arnzen, Micron executive vice president and chief people officer and president of the Micron Foundation. "We are honored to see initiatives like Micron's MSI Semiconductor Network, which are at the forefront of our industry's efforts to prepare the semiconductor workforce and research ecosystem to meet the growing demand for talent, recognized by government leaders. in the U.S. and around the world.โ
On May 21, Micron launched its MSI Semiconductor Network, a partnership with 15 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Asian-American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AAANAPISI) to grow the STEM talent pipeline and build a stronger, more inclusive semiconductor-ready workforce. The founding partners of MSI Semiconductor Network were identified based on their strong collective undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering and other STEM degrees. Spanning eleven states and the District of Columbia, they bring together thousands of STEM undergraduate and graduate students, access to teaching labs and clean rooms, and a foundation of cross-institutional collaboration.
Micron and the Micron Foundation have a long-standing commitment to MSI partners, including funding the Micron-Norfolk State University nanomanufacturing clean room, creating the Micron Inclusive Leadership Academy programs at Spelman College and supporting experiential learning programs for students at Northern Arizona University and Howard University. A variety of Micron leaders currently serve on boards and technical committees across the MSI Semiconductor Network, and Micron was recently recognized for the fifth consecutive year as a top sponsor of HBCU engineering schools.
This announcement comes after Virginia's legislative panel unanimously approved a state incentive package to support Micron's proposed investment to modernize its existing factory in Manassas. Micron confirms that this proposed investment in Virginia and the creation of new high-paying jobs would be made possible by the full award of federal CHIPS Act funding. The company has submitted a CHIPS application for Virginia to the Department of Commerce.
"Micron's proposed expansion marks an unparalleled opportunity for Virginia and the nation to demonstrate leadership in key semiconductor memory technologies for long life cycle applications in the global automotive and aerospace industries," said Governor Glenn Youngkin. "We are working with federal partners to ensure Micron's application is as competitive as possible so we can make this project a reality in Virginia."
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