{"id":2723,"date":"2023-09-13T13:45:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T13:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/?p=2723"},"modified":"2024-06-14T13:50:54","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T13:50:54","slug":"purdue-panels-to-address-us-semiconductor-needs-next-big-things-in-tech-at-fast-company-innovation-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/2023\/Q3\/purdue-panels-to-address-us-semiconductor-needs-next-big-things-in-tech-at-fast-company-innovation-festival","title":{"rendered":"Purdue panels to address US semiconductor needs, \u2018Next Big Things in Tech\u2019 at Fast Company Innovation Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"purdue-initial-words-wrap\"><p class=\"purdue-initial-words\">WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. &mdash;<\/p> \n<p>Featured alongside Hilton, AT&amp;T, Patagonia and Moderna, Purdue University will share its innovative solutions to some of the world\u2019s toughest challenges as part of the ninth annual&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/events.fastcompany.com\/innovationfestival23\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fast Company Innovation Festival<\/a>&nbsp;taking place Sept. 18-21 in New York City.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The four-day festival, attended by thousands of the world\u2019s most inventive thinkers, up-and-coming entrepreneurs and visionaries, showcases \u201ccreativity and groundbreaking ideas that are transforming industries.\u201d Purdue will take part in two panel discussions sharing excellence at scale in semiconductor workforce development and innovative \u201csmart concrete\u201d technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n    <div  class=\"purdue-home-quick-links-static \">\n        <div class=\"tagged-header-container\">\n\n            <h2 class=\"tagged-header\"><span>Additional Information<\/span><\/h2>\n        \n        <\/div>\n\n       <ul class=\"quick-links-content\">\n                                        <li class=\"quick-link__item\">\n                                                                <a class=\"quick-link__link\"\n                                    href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/purduetoday\/releases\/2023\/Q2\/fast-company-purdue-the-most-innovative-university-in-america.html\" target=\"_blank\">\n                                    Fast Company: Purdue the \u2018most innovative university in America\u2019                                <\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n                                                <li class=\"quick-link__item\">\n                                                                <a class=\"quick-link__link\"\n                                    href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2022\/Q4\/fast-company-chooses-purdue-university-as-a-brand-that-matters-for-second-year-in-a-row.html\" target=\"_blank\">\n                                    Fast Company chooses Purdue University among its \u2018Brands That Matter\u2019 for second year in a row                                <\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>The Sept. 20 panel \u201cSecuring the Future: Driving Innovation Through the Semiconductor Workforce\u201d will bring together government, academia and industry as Purdue President Mung Chiang and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nist.gov\/news-events\/news\/2023\/02\/us-department-commerce-announces-chips-america-leaders-and-staff\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Adrienne Elrod<\/a>, director of external and government affairs in the CHIPS Program Office, take the stage to share how collaboration is elevating the semiconductor ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur nation has a serious challenge ahead: a need for 50,000 trained semiconductor engineers this decade to help power our phones, cars and everyday devices, and our nation\u2019s military and defense technologies,\u201d Chiang said. \u201cThrough the Semiconductor Degrees Program and as part of the Purdue Computes initiative, Purdue is answering the call with unparalleled excellence at scale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To educate the workforce needed to produce the most sophisticated technology humans create, Purdue launched its&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2022\/Q2\/purdue-launches-nations-first-comprehensive-semiconductor-degrees-program.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Semiconductor Degrees Program<\/a>, a suite of degrees and credentials to enable a quick ramp-up of in-demand skilled talent to reassert American preeminence in this critical industry. In April, Purdue\u2019s Board of Trustees approved Phase 1 of a $100 million plan to upgrade semiconductor research and learning facilities and hire 50 faculty members as part of the three-pronged&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2023\/Q2\/purdue-announces-3-pronged-purdue-computes-initiative-propel-computer-science-to-the-nations-top-10-launch-the-institute-of-physical-ai-and-expand-semiconductor-facilities.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Purdue Computes initiative<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SkyWater plans to open a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2022\/Q3\/skywater-technology-chooses-discovery-park-district-at-purdue-for-1.8b-semiconductor-fabrication-facility,-to-create-750-jobs-in-5-years.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$1.8 billion state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing facility<\/a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoveryparkdistrict.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Discovery Park District at Purdue<\/a>, the bookend forming America\u2019s Hard Tech Corridor. Recently called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/08\/06\/technology\/indiana-chips-act.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Indiana\u2019s chip-making metamorphosis<\/a>\u201d by The New York Times, the 65-mile corridor between Purdue\u2019s flagship West Lafayette campus and Purdue University in Indianapolis, Purdue\u2019s new urban campus, will become the most consequential engine of economic growth and brain gain in the Midwest as it continues to generate workforce, jobs and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During another panel on Sept. 21, Luna Lu, associate dean and the Reilly Professor in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, will share how her \u201csmart concrete,\u201d named a Fast Company&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2022\/Q4\/smart-concrete-from-purdue-named-a-next-big-thing-in-tech-by-fast-company-magazine.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Next Big Things in Tech<\/a>, is cutting down construction time and saving taxpayers millions of dollars. Lu\u2019s innovative sensors, which allow concrete to \u201ccommunicate\u201d with engineers about its strength, have already been embedded in highways in at least eight states, including at the future&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2023\/Q3\/purdues-talking-concrete-embedded-into-new-i-465-and-i-69-interchange-in-indianapolis.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">I-465 interchange to I-69 south on Indianapolis\u2019 south side<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTraffic jams caused by infrastructure repairs have wasted 4 billion hours and 3 billion gallons of gas on a yearly basis,\u201d Lu said. \u201cThis technology cuts down on construction, is better for the environment and is able to adapt to future needs as vehicles continue to evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier this year, Fast Company editors ranked Purdue No. 16 among the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/most-innovative-companies\/list\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">World\u2019s Most Innovative Companies<\/a>&nbsp;and No. 1 in education, citing the university\u2019s mission to solve the nationwide shortage of semiconductor engineers. Purdue follows OpenAI (at No. 1) and leads NASA (No. 17) and&nbsp;The Walt Disney Co. (No. 25) as organizations \u201cpaving the way for the innovations of tomorrow\u201d and \u201csetting the standard with some of the greatest accomplishments of the modern world.\u201d Purdue has also been recognized by Fast Company&nbsp;among its&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2022\/Q4\/fast-company-chooses-purdue-university-as-a-brand-that-matters-for-second-year-in-a-row.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brands That Matter<\/a>&nbsp;for two years in a row \u2014 the only university on the list both years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can\u2019t think of a better place to showcase Purdue\u2019s consistent instigation of progress than the Fast Company Innovation Festival,\u201d said R. Ethan Braden, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Purdue University and Purdue University Global. \u201cWhether addressing the nation\u2019s semiconductor shortage, aiding brain gain and preventing brain drain with our new urban campus in Indianapolis, reimagining the business school of the future, or helping working adults complete a degree they can be proud of with Purdue Global, persistent small steps at Purdue are turning into giant innovative leaps each day, and we are ever grateful for Fast Company\u2019s continued recognition and partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to Purdue\u2019s now-iconic tuition freeze, which has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2022\/Q2\/a-decade-of-affordability-purdue-leads-the-way,-saving-students-and-families-1-billion.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saved Purdue families more than $1 billion<\/a>&nbsp;since the 2012-13 academic year, Purdue also was named the country\u2019s No. 4&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2022\/Q3\/purdue-ranked-no.-4-most-trusted-public-university-in-the-u.s..html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">most trusted public university<\/a>&nbsp;by Morning Consult. It was also recognized as a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2021\/Q3\/purdue-again-among-nations-best-in-the-wall-street-journaltimes-higher-ed-ranking.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">top 10 public university<\/a>&nbsp;in 2022 by The Wall Street Journal\/Times Higher Education and a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/releases\/2022\/Q3\/purdues-most-innovative-status-reaches-5-years-in-u.s.-news-38-world-report-rankings.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">top 10 Most Innovative University<\/a>&nbsp;for five years straight by U.S. News &amp; World Report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As well as Chiang and Lu, Fast Company\u2019s Innovation Festival includes a variety of speakers such as actor, producer, director and chief communications officer of Pendulum Therapeutics Halle Berry; Proudly co-founders Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union; and Slack CEO Lidiane Jones<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPurdue University is an exemplary Fast Company partner \u2014 recognized repeatedly by our editors for its achievements in innovation and in its purpose-driven mission and practices,\u201d said Melissa Rocco, senior vice president of sales for Fast Company. \u201cHaving the university\u2019s thought-leadership on stage at this year\u2019s Festival will shine a bright light on Purdue\u2019s excellence for our thousands of attendees in New York City, as well as for our worldwide audience online,\u201d added Rocco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About Purdue University<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Purdue University is a public research institution with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top 4 in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, with 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue\u2019s main campus has frozen tuition 12 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap, including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes, at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/president\/strategic-initiatives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/president\/strategic-initiatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"note\" class=\"post-content__attribution \">\n    <div class=\"columns\"> \n                    <div class=\"column\"> \n                <p class=\"post-content__source\">\n                    <strong>Writer\/Media contact<\/strong>: Trevor Peters,\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:peter237@purdue.edu\">peter237@purdue.edu<\/a>, @TrevorPeters__<br><strong>Sources:<\/strong>\u00a0Mung Chiang @PurduePresident, Luna Lu, R. Ethan Braden @REthanBraden                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. &mdash; Featured alongside Hilton, AT&amp;T, Patagonia and Moderna, Purdue University will share its innovative solutions to some of the world\u2019s toughest challenges as part of the ninth annual&nbsp;Fast Company Innovation Festival&nbsp;taking place Sept. 18-21 in New York<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"department":[31,73,158],"source":[29],"purdue_today_topic":[100],"coauthors":[144],"class_list":["post-2723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","department-engineering","department-president","department-vp-marketing-and-media","source-purdue-news","purdue_today_topic-events"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2723"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2730,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2723\/revisions\/2730"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2723"},{"taxonomy":"department","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/department?post=2723"},{"taxonomy":"source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/source?post=2723"},{"taxonomy":"purdue_today_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/purdue_today_topic?post=2723"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=2723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}