Newswise — Boise State University today announced a $25 million gift from the Micron Foundation that will have a transformational impact on the field of engineering and materials research. The largest gift in the university’s history will fund the establishment of a new Center for Materials Research, operated by the College of Engineering.
“We are thrilled with the generosity and continuing partnership of Micron,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra. “This gift recognizes our growing reputation as an innovator in the area of materials science and will allow us to contribute on a grander scale to a field that has incredible significance in today’s ever-evolving world.”
“Since its inception, we have proudly partnered with Boise State’s College of Engineering to inspire the next generation of innovators,” said Mark Durcan, chief executive officer of Micron Technology and chairman of the Micron Foundation. “This donation builds on the program’s accomplishments by giving the brightest minds the tools and resources they need to compete on a global level. Together, we are empowering both our students and our community to engineer the future.”
The Center for Materials Research will allow Boise State to better answer industry’s call for a more broadly based, technically fluent workforce. Students earning a degree in materials science and engineering emerge as important contributors across many scientific disciplines, including manufacturing technology, new materials, cancer research, energy studies, space and aeronautics, and the development of new sensors and microelectronic devices.
“There has never been a more urgent need for this center,” said Amy Moll, dean of the College of Engineering. “It will elevate our materials research to national prominence and allow students and faculty access to a world-class facility in which to conduct research that will lead to profound discoveries.”
Jenni Domanowski, a materials science junior, agrees. “In all of my past internships, my employers have constantly stressed how crucial hands-on experience is in the hiring process,” she said. “Being able to present myself with confidence and a lot of experience, especially as an undergraduate, opens up countless opportunities for me in the field of materials science.”
Materials define the performance limits of any device, from the car to the computer chip, added Peter Mullner, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). “Materials define what is technologically possible, and through their manufacturability, they also define what is economically possible.”
MSE is a department on the move. To meet a growing demand for materials scientists, Boise State’s program has doubled its faculty since 2012. Undergraduate and graduate enrollment continues to increase with a goal of 10 Ph.D. graduates per year. More than half of materials science graduates find employment in the Treasure Valley (many with Micron) and others continue their education with graduate school or as post-doctoral researchers.
“Micron’s investments in Boise State’s programs and facilities have made it an indispensable partner in the university’s ongoing transformation as a metropolitan research university of distinction,” said Laura C. Simic, vice president for university advancement. “Our histories are deeply intertwined, going back more than 20 years. The partnership is a stellar example of how philanthropy creates intellectual capital and enhances economic development.”
Boise State’s College of Engineering was first established in 1997 with a $6 million donation from Micron to build a new engineering complex. Through generous gifts from Micron and the Micron Foundation, undergraduate and Ph.D. programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) were created.
Boise State will recognize this latest gift on Nov. 14 (Idaho Technology Day) by welcoming Micron CEO Mark Durcan onto the Albertsons Stadium blue turf during halftime of the game against New Mexico. For more information on the Center for Materials Research or Micron’s $25 million gift, contact Simic at [email protected] or (208) 426-3276 or visit giving.boisestate.edu. The Center for Materials Research is one of several facilities and spaces announced or under construction at Boise State, including a 40,000-square-foot Alumni and Friends Center across from Albertsons Stadium, a 236,000-square-foot Honors College Building on the site of the former University Christian Church across the street from the Student Union, two floors of space for the computer sciences program in the Clearwater Building being constructed at City Center Plaza by The Gardner Company, and the 90,000-square-foot fine arts building to be constructed just south of Towers Hall.
About Boise State UniversityA public metropolitan research university with more than 22,000 students, Boise State is proud to be powered by creativity and innovation. Located in Idaho’s capital city, the university has a growing research agenda and plays a crucial role in the region’s knowledge economy and famed quality of life. In the past 10 years, the university has quadrupled the number of doctoral degrees, doubled its masters degrees and now offers 13 online degree programs. Learn more at www.BoiseState.edu.
About Micron Micron Technology, Inc. is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets a full range of DRAM, NAND and NOR flash memory, as well as other innovative memory technologies, packaging solutions and semiconductor systems for use in leading-edge computing, consumer, networking, embedded and mobile products. Micron’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the MU symbol. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc., visit www.micron.com.
About The College of EngineeringThe College of Engineering at Boise State University is home to faculty on the cutting edge of teaching and research and students who bring fresh perspectives to the laboratory and the classroom. Their collective discoveries are the foundation for the next generation of technological advances, from developing renewable energy to exploring new areas of biomedicine and using DNA as scaffolding for technology on the molecular scale. Visit COEN.boisestate.edu.
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