LOWELL – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the Regional Leadership Council, hosted a roundtable on the CHIPS and Science Act with Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao, a senior member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Program Office, Third District companies, and higher education institutions training the next generation of workers ready to fill the jobs created by the law. The roundtable discussion, hosted at Middlesex Community College, centered on how Massachusetts will benefit from the law, including how local companies can access this federal funding and the ways that local higher education institutions can prepare their students to enter the workforce.
“Thanks to the Commonwealth’s world-class research universities, renowned community colleges, and cutting-edge work being done by companies, we’re uniquely positioned to reap the benefits of the CHIPS and Science Act,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Today’s roundtable brought together a diverse array of partners to discuss how we can maximize the impact of this unprecedented federal investment to strengthen our economy and create thousands of good paying jobs here in Massachusetts. I’m deeply grateful to Secretary Hao, the U.S. Department of Commerce, college leaders, and industry experts for their contributions to this discussion and commitment to implementing this landmark legislation.”
“The CHIPS and Science Act presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to make transformational investments in Massachusetts’ advanced manufacturing and technology sectors while spurring new jobs, groundbreaking research, workforce development programs, and resources for companies in our state,” said Secretary Hao. “Thank you to Congresswoman Trahan for hosting today’s roundtable discussion on how our state can leverage this opportunity to invest in the cutting-edge industries that will be key to our national security and state economic prosperity in the years to come.”
In July 2022, Trahan voted to pass the CHIPS and Science Act, which includes a historic $280 billion investment to bolster U.S. semiconductor capacity as well as additional funding to strengthen American manufacturing, catalyze research and development, and create regional high-tech hubs and a bigger, more inclusive STEM workforce. The law will be critical in reasserting America’s economic independence and scientific dominance, lowering costs for American consumers by making products here at home, and creating new, good-paying jobs across the nation.
Congresswoman Trahan and Secretary Hao were joined today by:
- Ayodele Okeowo, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, CHIPS Program Office, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Chancellor Julie Chen, UMass Lowell
- President Phil Sisson, Middlesex Community College
- Allison Dolan-Wilson, VP of Institutional Advancement, Northern Essex Community College
- Adam Duggan, VP of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning, Mount Wachusett Community College
- Dr. Jen Hanselman, Dean of Health and Natural Sciences, Fitchburg State University
- Mary Cronin, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, 6K
- Ben Downing, VP of Public Affairs, The Engine
- Susan Feindt, Senior Technical Fellow, Analog Devices
- Dr. Ron Gyurcsik, Director, Advanced Technology Programs Business Unit, Raytheon
- Vince Harris, CEO, Metamagnetics
- Gregg Jessen, Distinguished Fellow of Technology, MACOM
- Thomas Lambalot, CEO, NewEdge Signal Solutions
- Ellen Mager, Site Leader, Dupont’s New England Manufacturing and Technology Center
- Christine Nolan, Director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, MassTech
- Laurent Perraud, CEO, Abside Networks
- Allison Reardon, Executive Director of the Semiconductor Alliance at MITRE
- Dan Reynolds, General Manager, Axenics
