April 6, 2023
National and local leaders convene at UW for discussion of CHIPS and Science Act, investing in scientific discovery
Leaders from Washington higher education institutions met with national policymakers April 4 to discuss opportunities provided by the CHIPS and Science Act. U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene and National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan visited the University of Washington campus to talk about the legislation, which provides more than $100 billion to fund scientific research and workforce training.
The UW and other Washington colleges and universities are poised to receive funds from the CHIPS and Science Act to invest in chip technology research and education for a new generation of skilled workers.
UW President Ana Mari Cauce — joined by WSU Dean Mary Rezac, Bellevue College President Gary Locke and Yakima Valley College Vice President Jennifer Ernst — all spoke about a statewide collaboration to meet Washington state’s workforce demands with a STEM talent pool that is more representative and diverse.
Panchanathan took a tour of UW quantum facilities led by Kai-Mei Fu, director of the Quantum Defect Laboratory and UW professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering, where he met UW undergraduate students and talked with them about projects they were working on.
After the tour, leaders engaged in a forum to discuss diversity in STEM, where Panchanathan took questions about attracting more women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Kai-Mei Fu
