Micro-credentialing

NSF grant supports nanofabrication workforce training

Nathan Kahl — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 22:43:45 +0000

NSF grant supports nanofabrication workforce training Nathan Kahl Sat, 09/13/2025 - 18:43

�鶹��Ƶ faculty members received nearly $1 million in a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a program providing hands-on nanofabrication training and education to people seeking a career change.

The funding comes under NSF’s ExLENT Pivots track and will serve the national interest by expanding experiential learning pathways in emerging hardware technologies driven by nanofabrication. It focuses on increasing workforce opportunities in Northern Virginia, a region positioned for growth in emerging technology sectors, such as artificial intelligence hardware, quantum information science, data center engineering, and sustainable manufacturing.

Ahn's research focus is nanofabrication. Photo by Office of University Branding

“The most important term is ‘experiential,' and it’s rare for NSF to provide this kind of funding," said Ethan Ahn, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a founding director of �鶹��Ƶ Nanoelectronics Laboratory, who is the lead principal investigator (PI) on the project. "The idea here is to produce this workforce for very high tech-focused areas by applying the learning-by-doing model.”

George �鶹��Ƶ is already known as one of the commonwealth's largest producers of tech talent.

The program provides an opportunity for working professionals who are looking to change careers; even those with no STEM background are encouraged to apply, as suggested by the “pivot” track from NSF.

“We’ll take people regardless of their background, education, or readiness," said Ahn. "We’ll provide everything they need to be job-ready by training participants with both lab and soft skills, providing connections with industry, and, if hired, paying them during their summer employment."

Co-PI Jessica Rosenberg, professor of physics and director of education at George �鶹��Ƶ’s Quantum Science and Engineering Center, said, “Nanofabrication is important for a range of high-tech industries, including semiconductors, biomedical, and energy. We’re creating a program to provide the support, education, and training needed for individuals to get a job in this growing sector. It will help them meet their goals while also supporting a regional talent pipeline.”

The program will run for three years, with approximately 20 participants every year. A key component of the initial phase of the program is access to a mobile app used for virtual training. The team is developing the app because they recognize that participants may have existing responsibilities that make coming to campus a challenge. After participants complete this first phase on their own schedule, they will then go to campus to participate in a research lab for the hands-on portions of the program.

Jessica Rosenberg is director of education at George �鶹��Ƶ's Quantum Science and Engineering Center. Photo by Office of University Branding

Ahn said a particularly interesting element of the program is a guaranteed interview in the industry. They are already working with BAE Systems, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman and expect this number of companies participating to grow through a collaboration with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. "The hope is that the participants will be able to turn the opportunity into a full-time position,” he said.

George �鶹��Ƶ will give program participants microcredentials, competency-based qualifications indicating a mastery of a subject, as they complete each phase of the program. This opportunity’s timing is ideal for Virginians looking to make a career change and supports the university’s efforts in building Virginia’s high-tech workforce.

Ahn was inspired to apply for the funding in part by the fact that the new Innovation District, led jointly by �鶹��Ƶ, Prince William County, and the City of Manassas, and anchored by George �鶹��Ƶ’s Science and Technology Campus, co-locates the university with industry and government to create a dynamic collaboration model.

“Relationships between university and industry are common, but this also includes government,” said Ahn. “We already have this established network via the Innovation District and in my proposal I said we are going to focus on nanofabrication, which is my area of expertise. I think those things made it appealing to NSF.”

Jill Nelson, professor and associate dean for undergraduate programs, and Nathalia Peixoto, associate professor, both in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, are also PI's on the grant.

The program will welcome its first cohort in spring 2026.

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�鶹��Ƶ’s Continuing and Professional Education repositions for better college-to-career alignment

Colleen Rich — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 15:14:12 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ’s Continuing and Professional Education repositions for better college-to-career alignment Colleen Rich Wed, 01/06/2021 - 10:14

Continuing and Professional Education Executive Director Marc Austin presenting to regional employers pre-COVID. Photo by John Boal

When Marc Austin assumed leadership of �鶹��Ƶ’s Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) in 2019, the higher education “skills gap” was a trending topic nationally. Universities like �鶹��Ƶ were recognizing the advantage of stronger relationships with industries as tech companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google and Facebook were directly engaging colleges to specifically design academic programs focused on the skills that aligned with their new technologies.

This year, that trending topic has become a national imperative as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates the nation’s shift toward a digital economy, exposing and widening the gap between the skills employees have and the skills employers actually need.

Austin’s time at �鶹��Ƶ has been largely focused on this specific challenge—first as the executive director of new ventures and now in his expanded role as the executive director of CPE.

“In CPE, our number one job is to support �鶹��Ƶ colleges in developing and delivering typically noncredit professional certification for entry-level and middle managers looking to advance their careers,” Austin said. “And we’re increasingly focused on serving dislocated workers with degrees. Our aim is to help them fill a skill gap that improves their eligibility for a career switch. The demand for �鶹��Ƶ to provide this kind of ‘upskilling’ is definitely on the rise.”

For more than 35 years, CPE’s objective has been to bring the university to professionals seeking to advance in their careers, and it’s a goal that fits squarely within �鶹��Ƶ’s mission.

CPE engages nearly 3,000 students each year. �鶹��Ƶ’s schools and colleges deliver the academic content, and CPE manages enrollment and fiscal management, marketing and communications—and now digital credentialing.

“Providing access to excellence is an important �鶹��Ƶ value that is promoted through continuing professional education programs that are offered at a low cost and provide recognition with industry-valued microcredentials,” said Provost Mark Ginsberg. “CPE provides a valuable benefit by supporting area professionals as they propel forward their careers while also facilitating the continued upskilling of our region’s workforce.”

CPE is helping �鶹��Ƶ address the skills gap from multiple perspectives.

“One way to do this is to have employers be clear about what they are looking for, but we can also be more transparent about what we do,” Austin said. “�鶹��Ƶ does a great job of getting our students prepared for their careers, but we need to make sure that employers understand what skills are embedded within our programs—and we can do that through credentialing.”

In Spring 2019, the Volgenau School of Engineering launched a digital technology credential designed to help liberal arts and nontechnical students build in-demand “digital” skills, based on input from regional employers like Northrop Grumman, Capital One and others.

CPE is finalizing a second credential with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Department of English. The new credential is backed by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, one of the nation’s largest public safety industry associations, and will offer technical writing skills for frontline emergency workers.

In summer 2020, Austin led a working group that explored how to introduce micro-credentials to �鶹��Ƶ, resulting in the new Micro-Credentials at �鶹��Ƶ program that was introduced to the university community starting in the fall.

Micro-credentials are smaller units of learning that reflect a student’s skill development and achievement embedded in one or more courses. They have the added benefit of highlighting the less transparent skills mastered within a course, and offer �鶹��Ƶ faculty an opportunity to innovate and augment their curricula with applied skills.

“�鶹��Ƶ’s micro-credentialing effort brings our faculty closer to our industry partners and opportunities to engage and incorporate emerging industry use cases and applications for the principles and theories they are teaching,” says Liza Wilson Durant, associate dean for strategic initiatives and community engagement at the Volgenau School. “This industry engagement also leads to connections between industry technology needs and our faculty expertise, which may fuel new research endeavors for both students and faculty.”

The micro-credential working group is planning a series of webinars and small group discussions designed to help the university community understand how to create micro-credentials in alignment with curricular and professional needs.

“In a digital economy, learning has to extend beyond the traditional bachelor’s degree program,” said Austin. “Our core ambition is to continue to make higher education accessible to people who already have degrees. We want to extend �鶹��Ƶ excellence across a lifetime of learning.”

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NSF grant supports nanofabrication workforce training

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