BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Christopher Leary, ’28, of Saxtons River, Vt., recently gained a behind-the-scenes look at the rapidly evolving microelectronics industry after being selected for a prestigious internship program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Leary, who is studying photonics and optical engineering at Bridgewater State University (BSU), was one of just 30 students selected from nearly 700 applicants for the Northeast Microelectronics Internship Program.
During the weeklong program, Leary and his fellow students toured advanced laboratories and manufacturing facilities at MIT, IBM, and semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries. They also had the opportunity to enter semiconductor clean rooms, where specialized suits, boots, and masks are required to protect sensitive manufacturing processes from even tiny particles of dust.
For Leary, the experience offered a firsthand look at how photonics and other technologies he is studying at BSU are being applied in the microelectronics industry.
“Because the photonics program here is so special, I have the opportunity to learn about very specific things that even people in an electrical engineering degree would not get to learn about at the undergraduate level,” Leary said. “The photonics classes are really well designed toward going into that field.”
Leary is particularly interested in biotechnology and was excited to visit a laboratory developing flexible chips for medical applications.
“I’m really passionate about using light to solve problems, because I feel like it’s a new frontier of science,” he said. “I’m definitely passionate about helping others.”
His interests also connect to the undergraduate research he conducts at Bridgewater State under the mentorship of Dr. Thaya Paramanathan, an associate professor of physics, photonics, and optical engineering. Paramanathan and his students study anticancer drugs with the goal of helping improve treatments.
Leary said his research experience has strengthened his ability to think critically and approach scientific problems. “The undergraduate research has prepared me to apply critical thinking to everything I do,” he said.