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
Medical devices exec touts UC co-op
October 15, 2026
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science alumnus Adam Hauke talks to Medium about the speed of innovation in developing new medical devices. Hauke is global director of product strategy & innovation at Gentherm Medical. He earned a doctorate and bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from UC.
What does Kroger's restructuring mean for Cincinnati?
October 15, 2026
Two UC economists spoke to WLWT on what Kroger's planned job cuts mean for the company and the community where it's headquartered.
More physical activity may mean slower Parkinson’s disease progression
October 15, 2026
National media including the Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report highlighted University of Cincinnati research that found higher levels of physical activity were associated with slower declines in thinking and memory as well as slower worsening of movement symptoms for people with Parkinson’s disease.