Focus

UVA is a member of the Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology (VAST), a coalition established to elevate Virginia as a leader on the forefront of the burgeoning semiconductor industry. The semiconductor alliance will serve industry and the semiconductor, microelectronics, and nanotechnology ecosystem by creating a collaborative network of Virginia’s preeminent universities to provide easy access to state-of-the-art research facilities across the Commonwealth of Virginia and provide valuable certifications to bolster workforce access in these rapidly evolving fields.

The University of Virginia and Virginia Tech are two of 21 East Coast universities partnering with semiconductor company Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) and the National Science Foundation on a workforce development initiative that’s an integral part of the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act.

Melissa M. Lubin will lead UVA's School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) as Dean with emphasis on programs that respond to both student and workforce demand. Dean Lubin is a champion for community engagement and economic development. Lubin will lead development and growth for SCPS that will reach across UVA's degree completion programs, online offerings, and expanded partnerships in Northern Virginia and in Wise.

A strategic expansion of UVA's presence in northern Virginia will increase academic programming and research in this important economic region of the state. Expanded course offerings in several schools will help those looking to gain additional skills to further their careers.

Several companies, including some founded by UVA alumni, are offering guaranteed job interviews to students with certain certificates from the School of Continuing Education and Professional Studies.

Explore 2022's first quarter edition of the Virginia Economic Review featuring a story on UVA and its support for the life sciences industry in Charlottesville (p. 32).

A partnership between UVA’s College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, UVA Edge is a yearlong, six-course online program that helps adults develop skills such as leadership, effective communication and digital literacy while earning credits that could help them toward a degree.

A new cross-curricular specialized course of study in the M.S. in Commerce Program will offer students indispensable knowledge and learning experiences while facilitating valuable industry and alumni engagement. Students with life science backgrounds will gain business skills and emerge ready to excel in areas where the the life sciences and the biotechnology industry convene.

The Propel Management Consulting Program is a collaboration between the Central Virginia Small Business Development Center (CVSBDC), the UVA Career Center, and the UVA Office of Economic Development to engage students in team-based projects sourced through employer partners and local start-ups.

UVA joined with Virginia colleges and universities to commit to doubling the state’s tech graduates as part of a bold vision for a historic tech-talent pipeline initiative that was central to recruiting Amazon HQ2 to the Commonwealth. UVA will receive $33 million through 2039 to support the expansion of degrees in computer science-related areas.