New UCLA center aims to chip away at the US semiconductor gap

The UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science is pictured here. It will serve as a federally-funded home for the new Center for Education of Microchip Designers. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Yashila Suresh
Jan. 7, 2025 10:29 p.m.
UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science was selected as the home for the new Center for Education of Microchip Designers.
The center was federally funded by the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which was enacted by the Biden-Harris administration. As one of seven institutions receiving a total funding of $11.5 million, the Samueli School of Engineering will lead the next generation of microchip designers in addressing workforce challenges in the U.S. semiconductor industry, according to a UCLA press release.
Behzad Razavi, a professor of electrical engineering and leader of the center, said its mission is to not only educate microchip designers within the university but also to increase exposure to UCLA’s work across the country.
The Samueli School of Engineering will lead the state-of-the-art center in educating both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as students at surrounding universities, he added.
Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean at Samueli School of Engineering, said providing unique opportunities and experiences for students interested in these fields is rewarding.
“We look forward to educating and training a critically needed talent pool of highly skilled integrated circuit designers and engineers,” Park said in the press release.
Investing in the future of the country’s semiconductor industry is crucial as most people rely on them for things such as Wi-Fi and cell phones, Razavi added.
“We are feeling serious competition from other countries, in particular China and South Korea … It became very clear very soon to the government and to all of us in the community that if we don’t act quickly, the U.S. will fall behind in microchip design,” he said.
Charmaine Tan, a fourth-year bioengineering student, said centers such as this one encourage innovation while providing new opportunities for students interested in research.
“Being able to work on something like that not only is super beneficial for the students but also it’s great for the school,” she said. “You’re pushing the boundaries of technology, and having that aspect of innovation is really exciting, especially if the students are able to get involved and learn from it.”
Tan, who is also president of the Engineering Society at UCLA, said these hands-on experiences allow students to feel like they are engineering change in the world.
Close to 500 students will train in the center each year, working with mentors in the industry and developing their chip design skills, Razavi said. Once confident in their abilities as chip designers, they will be connected with industry opportunities, he added.
“I’m just very excited about the center and what it can do for the community and the country at large,” Razavi said. “We are very fortunate to have received this funding … (and) we will be able to make a difference in every aspect of chip design.”