20 OregonStater.org CAREY: OSU ATHLETICS; CASCADES : HALEY NELSON; RESER: DARRYL LAI N EWS HANDS-ON HIGH TECH VETERANS BUILD NEW SKILLS WITH OSU SEMICONDUCTOR TRAINING PROGRAM. By Tyler Hansen In a semiconductor training facility lined with soldering stations, Oregon State student and U.S. Army veteran Garret Lacy leaned over a circuit board, experimenting with unfamiliar parts and piecing together a design of his own making. He and the others in his cohort were told only the basics: create a circuit. And that was the point — to let curiosity drive the work. “We found parts we’d never seen, asked how they work, tried to implement them into our circuits and just had fun doing it all,” said Lacy, who is majoring in mechanical engineering. “In an expanding electrical world, I think it’s important for any engineer to have this skill.” According to Lacy, those moments of creativity were highlights of VETS-UP, a veterans’ semiconductor upskilling program. The eight-week paid training opportunity provides access to the facility at Analog Devices, Inc., a global semiconductor leader that bridges the physical and digital worlds. The program at ADI’s Beaverton campus combines classroom learning, hands-on lab exercises and mentorship from industry professionals, offering participants technical and professional skills. Lacy was one of 11 participants in the first training cohort, all of them veterans, active-duty service members or military dependents who are pursuing STEM degrees at OSU or an Oregon community college. The variety of learning experiences they’re given is designed to excite them about jobs related to semiconductors and robotics. “I see the semiconductor industry as a place for innovation and growth → OSU students Laurence Heiges, Austin Wilkinson and Garret Lacy (from left to right) took part in the VETS-UP semiconductor training program. with many sub-industries that are involved,” Lacy said. “Even if you don’t want to work directly with the manufacturing of chips, you can still be a part of the process in a support role like robotics.” VETS-UP is the student-centered outcome of a $1 million workforce grant OSU received from the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Along with a stipend, participants receive housing for the full eight-week training, career services and academic support. For most, it’s a first look into a field they see as full of possibility. For others, like nuclear engineering major Laurence Heiges, the experience INSTAWORTHY @beavergym @oregonstate @osucascades OSU Athletics announced that Jade Carey, the most decorated Beaver gymnast in school history, has become an OSU student assistant coach. In Corvallis, new students gathered for Convocation in Reser Stadium. Beaver Nation is 38,460 strong this academic year. OSU-Cascades students kicked off fall term with “first day of school” pics.
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