It’s Only Common Sense: Be the Solution, Not the Problem
American Made Advocacy: Long-time Challenges Confront a New Administration
Marcy's Musings: It's Show Time!
Mind Meld: Brian Chislea and AJ Arriaga Share Their Fascinating Experience in IPC's Mentorship Program
January 28, 2025 | Michelle Te, IPC CommunityEstimated reading time: 1 minute
IPC’s Emerging Engineer program provides professionals an opportunity early in their careers to learn from dedicated industry volunteers participating in standards development. Two participants in the program—Brian Chislea, Dow Chemical, mentor to AJ Arriaga, Summit Interconnect—share their experiences in the program in a series of articles. We will follow them through their three years in the mentorship. This is the first in the series.
Name: Brian J. Chislea
Occupation: Scientist and Application Engineer, Dow Chemical
Achievements: 27 years of industrial experience
My expectation for being a mentor: Unlike teaching or presenting, being a mentor is a two-way interaction. As a mentor, you can be both a student and a teacher while networking with peers of similar interests. I find more value in this type of interaction than just presenting a body of work because you can broaden your industry knowledge beyond your area of focus. The IPC Emerging Engineer Program encourages attendance at several networking events and provides dedicated resources for the success of the program. AJ and I will engage in the mentorship program for three years. I feel that’s enough time to see the broad range of activities, build a solid network, and ultimately help AJ start contributing within the IPC community for early career professionals.
Name: Jorge A. (AJ) Arriaga
Occupation: Chemical Process Engineer, Summit Interconnect
Education: Bachelor of Engineering, BE Chemical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University
My expectations: I hoped to attend IPC meetings with my mentor and get an inside view of their work and why they’re important. Brian leads a committee, so I thought it would be interesting to see what goes into IPC committees. I also expected to attend some interesting professional development courses and learn together. What I didn’t expect, however, was Brian’s popularity, as he introduced me to many people involved in IPC. It was a great networking experience for me.
Learn more about Brian and AJ in the Winter 2025 issue of IPC Community, where they share some of their professional and personal experience and passions, and how they got involved in the IPC mentorship program. Click here!
Share on:
Suggested Items
IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Denny Fritz
03/13/2025 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007This month, the Hall of Fame spotlight features Denny Fritz, a long-time friend and associate of mine. Denny first got involved with IPC in 1978 while working with MacDermid. His first efforts were with the various board fabrication committees, something he believes helped lead to his eventual Hall of Fame award.
Ventec International Group Announce Launch of VT-47LT IPC4101 /126 Prepreg for HDI
03/12/2025 | Ventec International GroupVentec International Group announce launch of VT-47LT IPC4101 / 126 Prepreg. Are Microvia Failures Plaguing Your HDI Any Layer Designs? High-density interconnect (HDI) designs are pushing the envelope - higher layer count HDI relies on complex microvia designs: skip vias, staggered microvias, and stacked microvias in sequential laminations.
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.
Hannah Nelson: The Inspiring Journey of an Emerging Engineer
03/11/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamAt last year’s IPC APEX EXPO, former IPC Emerging Engineer Hannah Nelson had the opportunity to reflect on her inspiring journey into the world of engineering, from her education at Valparaiso University to her internship and her first job at Texas Instruments. From pivotal moments and the unexpected turns that helped shape her early career and passion for electrical engineering, her story highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, taking opportunities that arise early on, finding confidence in one's voice, and the rewards of pursuing one's passions within the engineering field.