Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is one of 11 universities that are partnering to grow the next-generation workforce and advance semiconductor research in the US and Japan. UPWARDS, which stands for the U.S.-Japan University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors was established in 2023 to cultivate a more robust and highly-skilled semiconductor workforce, to drive emerging research, and develop leading semiconductor curricula in the US and Japan. UPWARDS is funded by Micron, Tokyo Electron, and the National Science Foundation.
Member Universities
Japan:
Hiroshima University
Institute of Science Tokyo
Kyushu University
Nagoya University
Tohoku University
United States:
Boise State University
Purdue University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of Washington
Virginia Tech
UPWARDS Pillars
The UPWARDS program emphasizes:
Development of cutting-edge curriculum
Advancing women in semiconductors
Providing experiential experiences
Conducting semiconductor and memory centric research
Facilitating student and faculty exchanges
RPI UPWARDS Program Activities
UPWARDS Faculty Fellow 
Esther Wertz, Associate Professor, Physics
Each university has named an UPWARDS Faculty Fellow. RPI’s Esther Wertz will play an important role in the engagement and support of Rensselaer’s activities under the UPWARDS for the Future program. The programmatic pillars are women in semiconductors, curriculum design, experiential learnings, memory-centric semiconductor research, and student and faculty exchanges.
UPWARDS Graduate Student Funding
RPI launched the first round of Graduate Student Awards in January 2024, selecting four students for funding from Summer 2024 through Fall 2025. The second round of applications was launched in Fall 2025, two students were selected for funding beginning in Summer 2026.
UPWARDS Undergraduate Student Research Program
Through a competitive review and matching process, 9 undergraduate students (out of 51 applicants) were selected to work with faculty on research projects in Spring and Summer 2026.
UPWARDS Summer Programs in Japan
Students from UPWARDS universities have the opportunity to apply to attend summer programs at Japanese partner institutions. In summer 2025, three RPI students participated in programs at Nagoya University and Kyushu University. This summer, five RPI students will participate in programs at Nagoya University, Tohoku University, and Kyushu University.
UPWARDS Steering Committee
- Rebecca Doerge, Provost
- Robert Hull, Vice President for Research
- Shekhar Garde, Dean of Engineering
- Sarah Niemann, Assistant Vice President for Research
- Esther Wertz, UPWARDS Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor, Physics
- Christian Wetzel, Professor, Physics
For more information, contact Sarah Niemann at niemas2@rpi.edu.