Micron scholarships aid undergraduates

Last spring, Micron Technology implemented a scholarship program to aid undergraduates in the ECE department. Five Micron Scholars-Zlatan Aksamija, Erick Burtness, Diana Ingram, Mark Lippmann, and Maria Makarova-are receiving an annual stipend of $12,000 (the cost of yearly tuition and fees) that is renewable for one or two years, depending on the time required by the students to complete their degrees.

Next year, ECE will select an additional five qualifying sophomores to become Micron Scholars upon entering their junior year. In addition to funding the education of these bright students, Micron will donate an unrestricted gift to ECE equal to one-fifth of its total student support. The total conceivable annual gift could reach upwards of $200,000.

Trading monetary worries for financial freedom lifted a weight from the scholars' shoulders and allowed them to spend more time pursuing academic interests.

"The scholarship certainly made it easier for me to concentrate on school," said Burtness, who majored in computer engineering instead of computer science because it will give him the opportunity to become a licensed professional engineer. "Because I don't have to worry about making money to pay my way through school, I have more time to concentrate on my studies and other academic interests such as networking, software design, and sound engineering."

For others, it helped to ensure a future in graduate school. Mark Lippmann commented that although he was planning to gain a postgraduate degree, he was unsure how he would come up with the means for this end until he was awarded the scholarship.

"Receiving the scholarship didn't change my plans, it helped to solidify them," said Lippmann, a computer engineering major who gained a closer relationship with faculty members after the Micron recognition. "I also had more interaction with some of the faculty after winning the scholarship-that was nice."

Gaining recognition from a worldwide semiconductor corporation such as Micron may steer other scholars' career choices in the direction of memory solutions. Makarova has applied for an internship with Micron; if she is chosen this will be her second.

"Last summer I had an internship at IBM's Almaden research center developing nano-imprint lithography techniques for the production of patterned magnetic media," said Makarova. The internship sparked her interest in nanodevices and she wants to continue research in this field. "Receiving the scholarship has given me a very positive image of Micron. They make me feel like my work is appreciated. I am interested to see where my career could go within the company if I get the internship."

Ingram has also applied for an internship with Micron. She remains undecided about any particular specializations, but the Micron scholarship and possible internship, by giving her new hands-on experiences, offer her another option in deciding what academic direction to pursue.

Clearly, the Micron gift is dramatically benefiting the ECE students, who also expressed high regard for the company.

"I think they're doing a really good thing-all the engineers there are inventing, not just trying to make old designs better," Ingram said.

Micron Technology, a principal provider of semiconductor memory solutions, is a globally renowned company in a non-traditional site. David E. Daniel, dean of the College of Engineering, noted the similarity to the University of Illinois.

"The collaboration between Micron and the U of I is quite natural because the cultures are compatible," said Daniel. "Micron is a world leader based in Boise, ID, while the University of Illinois College of Engineering is also a world leader in an unlikely location. In addition, we share with Micron our good Midwestern values and a commitment to excellence and innovation."