Spectrum News: Cincinnati recruits high-tech manufacturing
UC shows Spectrum News how it is preparing graduates for new tech jobs
Spectrum News visited the University of Cincinnati's cleanroom in the Mantie Center to see how students are getting ready for Ohio's nascent microchip manufacturing industry.
Rashmi Jha, a professor of electrical engineering in UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science, told Spectrum News that UC students are preparing to work in Ohio's growing high-tech manufacturing industry with targeted training.
"At Intel, a lot of things will be automatic, but the fundamentals will be the same," Jha told Spectrum News.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science professor Rashmi Jha talks to Spectrum News about how UC is preparing graduates to work in Ohio's growing manufacturing industry. Photo/Spectrum News
Intel is building two new microchip fabrication plants outside Columbus, a move that is expected to boost electronics manufacturing along the entire supply chain in Ohio. President Biden this week signed a bill that will provide more than $52 billion in subsidies for U.S. semiconductor production and research to spur American manufacturing.
UC microelectronics engineer Ronald Flenniken said graduates often leave Ohio to pursue careers in high-tech manufacturing.
"If you ever really wanted to do this as a living, you had to go to the East Coast or West Coast," Flenniken told Spectrum News. "Now with Intel being in the Midwest, it makes a big difference."
UC and a dozen other Midwestern universities and colleges created a new network designed to support semiconductor and microelectronics production in the United States.
"This network of Midwest academic institutions represents an enormous opportunity for our region to lead in microelectronics — both in technological advancement and workforce development," UC President Neville Pinto said.
Featured image at top: A UC College of Engineering and Applied Science student works in a microelectronics clean room at the Mantei Center. Photo/Spectrum News
Related Stories
UC grad and Honda employee helps race team win Indy 500
June 11, 2026
UC engineering graduate JP Suozzi helped driver Felix Rosenqvist win the Indianapolis 500 as a trackside engineer with Honda Racing. While on co-op with Meyer Shank Racing, Suozzi monitored Honda engine performance at the track, contributing to the closest finish in Indy 500 history.
Taking a second look at surgery eligibility for patients with lung cancer who smoke
June 11, 2026
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have found that patients who continue to smoke ahead of lung cancer surgery have a higher risk of pulmonary complications, but their short-term mortality rate is similar to patients who were able to stop smoking before surgery.. Their findings were published recently in the Journal of. American College of Surgeons
Pocket-sized population threat
June 10, 2026
The Financial Times took a deep dive into why populations around the world continue to be on the decline. The publication cited new University of Cincinnati research as part of the investigation that looks at the fall of fertility in the digital era.