Associate Professor Albert Kim of Medical Engineering engaged with the USF鈥檚 interdisciplinary research team (Drs. Kumar, Katkoori, Yilmaz, and Alcantar), and received a prestigious five-year, $3 million NSF Research Training (NRT) grant, known as STEP-UP: Science, Technology, Engineering, Program for Upward Partnership for Advancing Microelectronics Education and Training. This initiative positions the USF College of Engineering at the forefront of semiconductor education, directly aligning with the Medical Engineering Department鈥檚 commitment to cross-disciplinary research, high-tech innovation and student engineering training.
Dr. Kim鈥檚 inclusion not only underscores the department鈥檚 deep expertise in biomedical microsystems but also enriches the STEP-UP traineeship with a biomedical perspective crucial for emerging microelectronics applications in medicine and healthcare. As the STEP-UP program brings together faculty across Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Materials, Computer, and Medical Engineering Departments, it demonstrates a unified, convergent college-wide training model. Dr. Kim鈥檚 contributions ensure that participants gain understanding of translational biomedical impacts, preparing trainees to lead in both semiconductor and medical technology domains.
The STEP-UP program will support 23 graduate fellowships (15 doctoral and 8 masters), which reflects a forward-looking strategy to cultivate a diverse, skilled workforce tailored to foster the next generation of innovators at the interface of microelectronics and healthcare.