Applied Materials, Inc. has announced that it will highlight its strong commitment to the semiconductor industry by stressing the importance of the Applied Materials Foundation Women in Science and Technology Scholarship Program, designed to encourage participation by women in science and engineering and showcase initiatives promoting math, science and semiconductor technology education that are helping develop future technology innovators at SEMICON West.
The Applied Materials Foundation has launched the Women in Science and Technology Scholarship Program to encourage young women to excel in specific technical areas leading to careers in science and engineering.
Grants will be made to selected student organizations at US-based universities that are committed to developing the next generation of women engineers.
Tom St. Dennis, senior vice president and general manager of Applied Materials’ Silicon Systems Group said, “We believe women can be a source of that talent in greater numbers if they are encouraged early in their education.”
Further to this the two are also supporting SEMI Foundation’s High Tech U for students and SEMI High Tech U Teacher Edition programs. In a three-day interactive session, students get the opportunity to learn about semiconductor manufacturing concepts and microchip logic while also being given the chance to understand career choices available in math and science-based professions. Students will also learn about the design and physics of solar cells.
The teacher program mirrors the student session, with an emphasis on ways educators can implement program activities into their lesson plans.
The goal of Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education (IISME) is to provide teachers with professional development experiences to gain additional learning and understanding of high tech practices to incorporate into their course curricula.