2024 is a special year for MTL - we are celebrating 40 years! In 1984, MTL first opened, and it's been a special place ever since. I look forward to celebrating this milestone with you all as we commemorate the amazing research that has come out of MTL over these past 40 years, and the impact that our students, faculty, staff and partners are having as we together define the future of electronics and microsystems. More information to come!

We kicked off the new year with a trip to the Omni Mount Washington Resort for MTL Microsystems Annual Research Conference (MARC) - the largest in-person conference to date, with over 250 attendees! I was delighted to see many of you there and inspired, as always, at all of the amazing research coming out of our community. Thank you to the MARC co-chairs, Sharon Jung-Han Hsia and Pradyot Yadav, the MARC2024 Committee Members, MTL and MIT.nano staff and everyone else who helped make this year such a success. I am already looking forward to MARC2025!

Following MARC, MTL leadership and faculty met with the members of the MTL Microsystems Industrial Group (MIG) at our annual Industry Advisory Board meeting. We had insightful discussions, exciting research presentations and were happy to welcome some new industry members to MTL - Ericsson, GlobalFoundries, Lockheed Martin, Murata and Soitec.

January 30th marked an exciting time for the microelectronic and nanotechnology communities as well as for MTL, MIT and MIT.nano. The Healey-Driscoll administration announced several grants to boost microelectronics in the Northeast region, thanks to the DOD Microelectronics Commons program. These grants will enable new technology, workforce development, education and student engagement. MIT.nano is receiving a new set of state-of-the-art 8'' nanofabrication equipment, thanks to a close collaboration with MTL MIG member, Applied Materials. The MTL-led Northeast Microelectronics Summer Internship Program (NMIP) also received an important grant to help expand its reach and impact across the northeast.

The Spring term at MTL is full of events. For example, you can find the MTL Seminar Series lineup for the 2024 spring semester below. The MTL Student Seminar Series has also started back up again, I encourage you to attend these seminars and sign up to be a presenter! We are also hosting the traditional MTL Cookie Social in MTL HQ (38-246) on the second Wednesday of every month. Stop by for a chance to gather with other MTL Community members and enjoy some treats!

One final announcement! Please join me in welcoming Dr. Charles H. Hsu, who joined MTL earlier this month, as the MTL Consortium Manager. Charles will be responsible for facilitating productive and growing relationships between MTL and the Microsystems Industrial Group (MIG) and help the entire MTL community leverage the resources and capabilities of our industry sponsors. Charles is an old friend of MTL, as he received his MSc. and PhD here while working with Prof. Marty Schmidt on Fabrication Technologies for Silicon Micro-accelerometer.

Keep an eye out for even more seminars, events and celebrations in the next few months. This has been a busy start to the new year, but we are just getting started! Please read below for even more announcements, research highlights, and spotlights on MTL faculty and students. As always, if you have news or events you'd like to share or publish, we would love to hear from you!

Sincerely,