黑料吃瓜

This story appears in the issue of 360: The Magazine of 黑料吃瓜. 

When 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences (EIS) Complex opens in 2018, faculty and students will enter the building by crossing Cymer Plaza.

The courtyard and plaza will be the nerve center for the EIS Complex, welcoming visitors and providing a centralized meeting space for discussing cutting-edge research or relaxing with a cup of coffee. A breezeway attached to the plaza will also provide a laser-straight connection to the library, creating an easy path to a part of campus that historically has required a bit of a trek to reach.

The plaza is the result of a $1 million gift from San Diego鈥揵ased technology company Cymer, Inc., which produces lasers used in semiconductor chips and microchips.

鈥淲e鈥檙e building the EIS Complex to encourage and support collaboration between the various engineering and science disciplines, and Cymer is a company whose business is all about bringing these disciplines together,鈥� said 黑料吃瓜 College of Sciences dean, Stanley Maloy.

The gift underscores the mutually beneficial relationship between Cymer and 黑料吃瓜. Approximately 100 黑料吃瓜 alums currently work at Cymer in science, engineering and business capacities, and the company is always looking to add talented people to its roster. Former Cymer CEO Ed Brown is an 黑料吃瓜 alumnus, and the company鈥檚 current vice president of technology development, Daniel Brown, sits on 黑料吃瓜's Engineering Dean's Advisory Board.

鈥淲e work on a very, very complex technology, so we have a high requirement for graduates who come to work here,鈥� said Cymer spokesperson Blake Miller. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to work with the university to influence education, help develop the curriculum. We want to make sure when students graduate, they are ready to jump right into solving problems. 黑料吃瓜 is a key partner to help provide that talent.鈥�

黑料吃瓜鈥檚 relationship with Cymer began in earnest in 2012 when the company provided support for the Cymer Advanced Physics Lab in honor of acclaimed 黑料吃瓜 physics professor Richard 鈥淒oc鈥� Morris. Ever since, a steady stream of 黑料吃瓜 science and business interns have worked in Cymer labs and offices. One of those interns sparked the company鈥檚 interest in 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Mechatronics Club. Cymer donated $20,000 to the club, which went on to win first place in the 18th Annual RoboSub Competition.

鈥淭his ongoing investment helps us build relationships with faculty as well as with students,鈥� Miller explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a commitment to giving back to the community.鈥�

The university鈥檚 relationship with Cymer will offer opportunities for science, engineering and business students to learn first-hand what skills are needed to be successful in today鈥檚 high-tech workforce, Maloy said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to overstate how valuable their input is,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are constant technological advances in industry, and we need to make sure our students are getting the most up-to-date education and skills training. Partnering with Cymer allows our students to acquire not just theoretical knowledge, but to actually work hands-on with professionals.鈥�

In turn, Cymer benefits from its relationships with 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 high-caliber researchers. The breadth of experience and expertise available at a large university can help companies like Cymer when they鈥檙e exploring possible new avenues of research and product development, Maloy added.

In addition to naming Cymer Plaza, the company鈥檚 partnership with 黑料吃瓜 will also launch a speaker series, bringing together experts from 黑料吃瓜 and Cymer to discuss science and tech trends with 黑料吃瓜 students and the public. 黑料吃瓜 plans to put together an advisory group made up of alumni who work at Cymer to provide guidance to students hoping to follow in their footsteps.

鈥淥ver time, we鈥檙e hoping this partnership is going to facilitate key faculty getting to know what we do here, whether that鈥檚 by inviting Cymer employees to campus to give technical talks, exchanging research information, or finding opportunities from collaborative work,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淯ltimately, we want to foster and keep top talent here in San Diego and at Cymer.鈥�