-
-
News
News Highlights
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueLearning to Speak ‘Fab’
Our expert contributors clear up many of the miscommunication problems between PCB designers and their fab and assembly stakeholders. As you will see, a little extra planning early in the design cycle can go a long way toward maintaining open lines of communication with the fab and assembly folks.
Training New Designers
Where will we find the next generation of PCB designers and design engineers? Once we locate them, how will we train and educate them? What will PCB designers of the future need to master to deal with tomorrow’s technology?
The Designer of the Future
Our expert contributors peer into their crystal balls and offer their thoughts on the designers and design engineers of tomorrow, and what their jobs will look like.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Michigan Tech's Middlebrook Receives Department of Defense Award
August 26, 2022 | Michigan Technological UniversityEstimated reading time: 3 minutes

The Department of Defense honored Michigan Technological University professor Dr. Christopher Middlebrook with an award for his innovative efforts to close education gaps and help build tomorrow's electronics manufacturing workforce. Adele Radcliff, Director of the Department of Defense Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program (IBAS), presented the award during the Future Electronics Workforce Summit, held on August 17 on the university's campus. It was the first such award given by IBAS.
"We celebrate your contributions to national security and national defense," said Ratcliff. "It's really hard to be first — to plant your flag on something that you believe to be true and to move forward despite the uncertainties and challenges that you face. Chris saw what an aging workforce could mean for this community and he decided to do something about it."
Earlier this year, Middlebrook, who is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was recognized by Michigan Tech Dean’s Teaching Showcase, for identifying a need for electronic design engineer training and forging collaborations with industry experts to build a program to address that need.
The foundational partnership has been between MTU and Calumet Electronics, with Calumet providing guest lectures, engineering support, materials, and staffing to Middlebrook’s growing program. The partnership between Calumet and MTU is a model for other industry/academic collaborations across the country. “Dr. Middlebrook’s approach to educating the next generation of electronics workforce is novel in partnering with industry experts from all over the country to deliver upwards of three guest lectures per week. Calumet’s own process engineering team attends many of the lectures to learn from the foremost experts in the country. Not only a win for the MTU students, but for our engineers as well,” says Dr. Meredith LaBeau, Calumet’s CTO.
Middlebrook has also partnered with IPC, the global electronics trade association, to form an IPC student chapter. In addition, he helped establish the university's new Plexus Innovation Lab, an electronics makerspace, in the university’s Electrical Energy Resources Center.
Ratcliff said she heard firsthand from young engineers who have taken part in the program, which serves as the prototype for the DoD IBAS-sponsored Electronic Manufacturing Technical Education project, tasked with replicating the MTU/Calumet collaboration, adapted to local needs, across the country.
"They acknowledge what you have done to help bring up this next generation. The quality of the education they get at MTU and your ability to capture and retain that is critical to helping us move this necessary technology forward so we can control our own self-determination across the globe." In announcing plans to scale the MTU program in electronics manufacturing communities nationally, Ratcliff said, "When we are successful, we will point to people like Chris Middlebrook as a reason why."
Middlebrook was quick to acknowledge others who have contributed to the success of the program. "The community has been phenomenal. Everybody has been willing to go above and beyond. I have the dream job. I get to wake up every day and change students' lives, help them find careers, help our industry, and help the state of Michigan. I could not do this without the great support of our community."
Middlebrook is a member of the IEEE, OSA, and SPIE. He was also an electrical engineer with the Electro-optics Division, NAVSEA Crane, where he served as a research test and development engineer. He earned a BS in Electrical Engineering at Michigan Tech, an MS in Optical Engineering at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Optics at the University of Central Florida. He joined Michigan Tech as an assistant professor in 2007.
Middlebrook’s research interests include visible and infrared imaging systems, quantum technology, integrated photonic devices, optical remote-sensing system design, and optical beam projection through atmospheric turbulence. His facilities on campus include a 700-square-foot optical research and testing lab, as well as a 500-square-foot teaching optical lab. He also serves as the faculty advisor for the Optics and Photonics Society at Michigan Tech.
Suggested Items
Aismalibar to Showcase Advanced Thermal Management Solutions at APEC 2025
03/13/2025 | AismalibarAismalibar, a global leader in high-performance thermal management materials, is set to exhibit at APEC 2025 (Applied Power Electronics Conference) in Atlanta, Georgia, from March 16–20, 2025. As the premier event for power electronics professionals, APEC provides a crucial platform for industry leaders to explore the latest advancements in thermal interface materials (TIMs), high-performance PCB laminates, and insulated metal substrates (IMS).
IPC Asia’s Talent Development Program Opens Pathways to a More Qualified Workforce
03/14/2025 | Evelyn Cui, IPC AsiaIn Asia, the contradiction between the rapid development of the electronics manufacturing industry and the shortage of talent is particularly evident. The existing talent pool cannot fully meet the market's demand for highly skilled professionals. According to feedback from industry companies, there is an urgent need for professionals with knowledge of IPC standards and practical skills in electronics. However, the reality is that most academic courses are disconnected from the actual needs of the industry, leading to disappointing results when companies recruit from universities and schools.
Global Sourcing Spotlight: How Global Sourcing Drives Innovation
03/12/2025 | Bob Duke -- Column: Global Sourcing SpotlightSomeone once told me the more you meet and work with people, the more you’ll learn and, most importantly, the more it will spur more innovation. Innovation is, of course, the lifeblood of success. Companies constantly seek ways to stay ahead, remain competitive, and deliver value to their customers.
IPC Releases Latest List of Standards and Revisions
03/12/2025 | IPCEach quarter, IPC releases a list of standards that are new or have been updated. To view a complete list of newly published standards and standards revisions, translations, proposed standards for ballot, final drafts for industry review, working drafts, and project approvals, visit ipc.org/status. These are the latest releases for Q1 2025.
The Test Connection Inc. Promotes Melanie Rutkauskas to Director of Operations for The Training Connection, LLC
03/11/2025 | The Test Connection Inc.The Test Connection Inc. (TTCI), a leading provider of electronic test and manufacturing solutions, is pleased to announce the promotion of Melanie Rutkauskas to Director of Operations for The Training Connection, LLC (TTC-LLC). With her extensive background in operations management, accounting, and customer relations, Melanie brings a wealth of experience and leadership to her new role.