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Foundations of the Future: IPCEF's Scholarships, Awards and Student Opportunities

There is no better way to end 2022 than by recognizing the hardworking students and educators who are driven to invest their time and energy in the electronics manufacturing industry. Through the IPC Scholarship and Awards program, we can help students invest in their future and reward the accomplishments of those who have dedicated themselves to bettering themselves and the industry. These important scholarships are meant to help students avoid or alleviate college debt and help fund professional growth opportunities.

IPC recently awarded a total of $54,000 in scholarships and awards.

2022 IPC Student Member Scholarship Winners
The IPC Education Foundation awarded 23 IPC Student Members an IPC Student Member Scholarship valued at $1,000 each, with an additional two student members each receiving $2,000 based on their exceptional accomplishments. The scholarship recipients are members of the following IPC Student Chapters: 17 from Auburn University, and one each from the following schools: Kirkwood Community College, Texas Tech University, Triton College, University of California-Irvine, University of New Orleans, and Valparaiso University.

Here are a few testimonials from our winners:

Junyang Zhang, University of California, Irvine, won one of the highly prestigious $2,000 scholarships: “In the past three years of my term of service as the co-founder and the current president of IPC@UCI, our branch has grown from a small club of five members to a club of around 100 members, and we have successfully held a number of workshops, webinars, and activities at UCI. For me personally, receiving double the amount of money for this award is a great recognition of our club’s previous work, and it’s a strong motivator for holding even better events in the future. As an international student, I have found IPCEF to be one of the most inclusive platforms for all people to learn and build electronics, since most other scholarships in the EE industry aren’t even open to international students. We at IPC@UCI sincerely hope that more and more students will come to appreciate the glamour of electronics through the doors opened by IPCEF.”

Palash Vyas, PhD student at Auburn University: “I am highly honored to receive the IPC Student Member Scholarship. This scholarship will boost my motivation as I look forward to building a career in the electronics field. I will utilize this by paying my college tuition.”

Brenda Sanchez, Triton Community College: “Thank you so much to the IPC Educational Foundation for the generous scholarship award. I am very pleased and appreciative to be a selected recipient.

The scholarship has reduced my financial burden and has allowed me to focus on my studies and future career goals. The funds will go towards helping to pay for my continuing Mechatronics Engineering education at a four-year university.”

Adeniji Babalola, Texas Tech University, completed his IPC Emerging Engineer Apprentice Program in 2022, received an IPC Student Member Scholarship and was recognized for his exceptional skill as a leader in his local IPC Student Chapter. He expressed his gratitude: “I am glad to have been noticed and appreciate the support of an outstanding institution such as IPCEF. Receiving this scholarship motivates me to keep moving toward my goals as I aim to acquire the knowledge and skill set needed for my future manufacturing career. I want to thank the entire IPCEF organization for minimizing my financial burden toward my educational and career goals.”

To learn more about what this scholarship means to each winner, please visit the IPCEF Student Member Scholarships website. Current student members may apply for an IPC Student Member scholarship by showcasing their contributions to the industry and their academic accomplishments. This scholarship has been designed to both help reduce students’ financial burdens and encourage students to enhance their knowledge and skills through real-word, industry-related experiences.

2022 IPC Student Leadership Awards
IPC Student Members who distinguished themselves as emerging industry leaders each received an IPC Student Leadership Award valued at $1,000. These awards recognize students’ leadership capabilities, the impact students had while serving in leadership roles, and their ability to plan and/or host successful engagement initiatives for their chapter members. Awardees were given the opportunity to record a video sharing their thoughts on being an award recipient; you can view their videos on the IPCEF website.

Hannah Nelson, Valparaiso University, served as the student liaison on the IPC Board of Directors: “For me, receiving this scholarship means more than just getting money; it also signifies that I am seen as having the potential to help benefit our society’s future. I will always have people to thank for my accomplishments, and I am very grateful for the kind financial aid provided to me so that I may further my education.”

She is also the recipient of an IPC Student Member Scholarship Award and shares regular articles on her column in PCB007 Magazine. She said this about the impact IPC has had on her personal growth and career trajectory: “Receiving the IPC Student Leadership Award is an incredible honor to me. I have been a part of my IPC student chapter for a year and a half; during that time, I have experienced incredible professional and technical benefits. IPC has helped my overall growth within the electrical engineering career space and has empowered me to create change for the future of the electronics industry. I am currently paying for college on my own, so this scholarship will help alleviate my financial burden while paying for school. I am now able to dedicate more time to expanding the Valparaiso University IPC Student Chapter and helping grow the next generation of future leaders.”

2022 IPC Michael Carano Teacher Excellence Award Winner
The IPC Education Foundation also recognizes educators and instructors who enrich the lives of students interested in a career path in the electronics industry. The 2022 IPC Michael Carano Teacher Excellence Award of $1,000 goes to Assistant Professor Sitao Huang from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2021 and 2017, respectively. He received his bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering at Tsinghua University in 2014. He is a 2022 DARPA Forward Riser. His research has won several awards, including the Best Paper Award at IDEAL 2021, Best Paper Nomination at ASP-DAC 2021, the Student Innovation Award at the 2018 IEEE HPEC Graph Challenge, and first place in the DAC 2019 System Design Contest.

In response to receiving this award, he said: “It is a great honor for me to receive this very special award. Getting this award is a milestone for me as a teacher, advisor, and a scholar. This award is a great encouragement to me to keep pursuing the high standard of educating and serving my students, but it’s also a recognition of the excellence of my students. I feel very fortunate to have an excellent group of students in IPC@UCI and the broader UCI student community.”

IPC Student Members Selected Into Emerging Engineer Program
In conjunction with IPC, the Foundation supports the Emerging Engineer Program, where early-career professionals are paired with volunteers who are leaders in the standards development space. It is with great excitement that we announce that the following IPC Student Members will participate in the three-year Emerging Engineer program as Emerging Engineer Apprentices, where they will have the opportunity to receive mentorship, participate in standards committee meetings, and take part in a special track at IPC APEX EXPO 2023.

IPC is committed to investing in these students’ attendance at IPC APEX EXPO.

Congratulations to the following Emerging Engineer Apprentices:

• Henry Crandall, PhD student from the University of Utah. Henry will also be serving as the IPC Student Board Liaison Officer on the IPC Board of Directors for the 2023 term.
• Hannah Nelson, fourth-year student from Valparaiso University, returning for a second year.
• Dylan Grace, fourth-year student from Valparaiso University, returning for a second year.
• Palash Vyas, PhD student from Auburn University.

High School Awards
Participating high schools attending the IPC APEX EXPO STEM Outreach Event each receive $1,000. This donation can be utilized by each school to support STEM related activities. This year, these awards will benefit the following high schools and students attending the STEM Outreach Event: Olympian High School, Mount Miguel High School, Otay Ranch High School, E3 Civic High School, San Marcos High School, North County Trade Tech High School, Morse High School, and Mission Hills High School. More detailed information about the event will be shared during the upcoming Real Time with… Show & Tell Magazine 2023.

We believe that these opportunities and experiences will allow students to gain awareness and access to the electronics manufacturing industry and help them reach their career goals.

With an ever-changing job market and endless opportunities, keeping up to date on industry needs can give you a better chance to distinguish yourself in ways that may benefit your career for years to come.

Charlene Gunter du Plessis is senior director of the IPC Education Foundation.