The Microelectronics Design Center (MDC) has announced plans for the Second Annual New York State Conference on Microelectronics Design. The conference allows a unique opportunity for New York State integrated circuit design engineers and all interested parties to come together in one location to network and share information about the progress of the research programs and their commercial applications.

"For the first time, we have joined together statewide to create a critical mass of expertise in integrated circuit design research," says Eby G. Friedman, Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Rochester and co-founder of the center.

The MDC is a virtual center consisting of a coalition of outstanding engineering faculty from 12 universities across the state and their counterparts and contacts from New York State businesses. Founded with an award of $2.6 million from the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR) in 2001, the center's mission is to enhance the integrated circuit design capability in support of the needs of New York State industry.

The center supports academics across the state who engage in cutting-edge research on integrated circuit design technologies by transferring those developed technologies to New York State's high-tech business community. Affiliated universities include Alfred University, Binghamton University, Cornell University, Columbia University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Rochester Institute of Technology, Stony Brook University, SUNY Geneseo, Syracuse University, Union College, the University at Buffalo, and the University of Rochester.

Additional information is available on the "News and Events" page at www.ceis.rochester.edu.