A successful supplement to the California State University, San Bernardino CREST II grant brought 25 high school students to CSUSB for the summer as part of workforce development with the university’s Upward Bound program. 

The funding for the supplement or subgrant, known on campus as the Summer Computer Chip Program, ultimately came from the federal CHIPS program. This federal initiative aims to bring computer chip manufacturing back to the U.S. The student participants are receiving a hands-on experience learning about the semiconductor and microelectronics industries.

The students spent two hours per day for seventeen days in the CSUSB electronics lab, under the direction of CSUSB physics graduate Zurisadai “Zuri” Yanez. 

“She is the perfect person for the job,” said professor of physics and astronomy Timothy Usher, who serves as one of the leaders of the subaward. “For one thing, she recently completed a paid research internship at the Lurie Nanofabrication Facility.”

The other two leaders of the subaward include assistant professor of physics and astronomy Young Min Kim and assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry Enrique Contreras. The trio developed the program’s activities and worked with Upward Bound to make it happen.

Upward Bound’s associate director, Conrad Valdez, has been excited by this partnership. “What a wonderful way to introduce students in the local community not only to the degree opportunities available on the CSUSB campus, but also provide them with actual experience in the industries themselves.”

“The summer high school portion is just one of two parts to this project,” said Kimberley Cousins, Principal Investigator for the CREST II grant project. “The other comprised short research experiences on three community college campuses that were conducted in January and July 2025.” Cousins also serves as director of CSUSB’s Center for Advanced Functional Materials.

For more information, visit the Center for Advanced Functional Materials website and the CSUSB Upward Bound program website.