Sixteen VCU students sign contracts with infineon

By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education

RICHMOND, Va. – The greatest anxiety for a new college graduate may be finding that first job. That will not be the case for 16 Virginia Commonwealth University students who already have secured positions with Infineon Technologies Richmond. Thirteen of the students are from VCU’s School of Engineering, two are computer science majors from the College of Humanities and Sciences and one is an information systems major from the School of Business.

"This is a perfect example of the kind of economic and workforce development VCU is contributing to the commonwealth," said Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., VCU president. "We are doing what we set out to do, educating students for Virginia’s growing economy. Clearly they are finding great opportunities for employment right here in the Richmond area."

In addition to the students who have accepted jobs with Infineon, other seniors already have accepted high-tech jobs at companies across the country including IBM, Motorola and Corning.

"There is tremendous acceptance of our class of 2001," said Robert J. Mattauch, Ph.D., dean of the School of Engineering. "We are doing our job by supplying qualified engineers to industry in Virginia and throughout the U.S."

Infineon, formerly known as White Oak Semiconductor, recently launched a major expansion of its semiconductor factory in suburban Richmond, which according to Infineon President Henry Becker, will involve hiring at least 500 new employees. "We are pleased with VCU’s performance or we wouldn’t be hiring so many of their students," said Becker.

Many of the students accepted offers from Infineon – with signing bonuses – during the fall semester of their senior year. Starting salaries for VCU students have been in the mid-$50,000 to low-$60,000 range.

"Employers are saying VCU students are winning the interview battle nationally," said Barton B. Cregger, assistant dean of undergraduate programs and operations at the School of Engineering. "That is evidence that VCU professors are providing quality programs and graduates for high-tech jobs in the private sector."

"I didn’t expect to get an offer in November. It’s a big relief," said student James Welsh of Petosky, Michigan, who starts his new job as a process engineer three days after graduation.

Student Shruti Manek of Richmond feels a huge burden has been lifted now that she has signed a contract with Infineon. "It feels great to have a job already lined up before I graduate," said Manek, who will become a parametrics engineer. "And with Infineon and VCU so close to each other, I won’t have to leave the Richmond area."

Bradford Crosby, who co-founded a student-run engineering consulting company at VCU, will become a process engineer at Infineon. "When you compete for these jobs against students at schools like M.I.T. and North Carolina State University and beat them out it feels gratifying," said the Chesterfield County native. "I am glad I came to VCU."

VCU’s School of Engineering, established in 1995, is recognized by local and national industry for its world-class teaching and research facility, and is one of only a handful of university facilities in the country that has a microelectronics cleanroom. VCU offers undergraduate degrees in chemical, electrical, mechanical and biomedical engineering as well as a general master’s degree. VCU is the only university in Virginia to offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering.