Kyle Homan, a doctoral student in electrical engineering, talked about printable electronics and nanotechnology at the opening of the Raytheon-University of Massachusetts Lowell Research Institute on Friday.
10/10/2014
Boston Globe
By Chris Reidy
In August, Raytheon and UMass Lowell disclosed plans to establish a joint research facility that will focus on printable electronics and nanotechnology. Raytheon said then that it plans to commit $3 million to $5 million over a 10-year period to support the facility.
A Friday press release to mark the opening of the Raytheon-UMass Lowell Research Institute, or RURI, included statements from UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan and Raytheon vice president Paul Ferraro.
“With this new and unique partnership, we are proud to become the first academic institution to have Raytheon researchers ‘embedded’ on its campus,” Meehan said. “The Raytheon-UMass Lowell collaboration is one example of how this campus is leading the way in working with industry. We hope this research institute becomes a model for industry-academic collaboration that will power innovation, job creation and workforce development in Massachusetts and be replicated elsewhere.”
The facility is called the Raytheon-UMass Lowell Research Institute is located at the school’s Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, UMass-Lowell’s new $80 million research facility.
According to Raytheon, roughly 1,000 UMass Lowell alumni work for the company.
Raytheon has said it plans to commit $3 million to $5 million over a 10-year period to support RURI.
In his Friday statement, Ferraro said: “I look forward to a future of advancements in new materials, devices, sensors, and systems that can take place in this facility. It is a place where UMass Lowell’s next generation of innovators can work side-by-side with Raytheon’s established aerospace and defense experts.”
The new institute, Raytheon and UMass Lowell have said previously “will feature state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms that will serve as a launchpad for collaboration and learning among UMass Lowell faculty and students and Raytheon employees to benefit both organizations in the pursuit of federal research funding. It will also provide UMass Lowell students with opportunities for research projects and employment opportunities at Raytheon.”
The institute will be headed by Christopher McCarroll of Raytheon and UMass Lowell professor Craig Armiento, a faculty member in electrical and computer engineering in the university’s Francis College of Engineering.