Making an MPaCT at the Sanghi College of Engineering
NAU took a big step forward in its advanced technology capabilities on Saturday with the opening of the Microelectronics Processing and Characterization Testing (MPaCT) Lab in the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering.
The lab, which was funded by an $8 million investment from the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), includes a variety of technology like a transmission electron microscope, a photoluminescence spectrometer and X-ray diffraction and is available for students, faculty and industry professionals to use for research and developme.
“That’s the magic that I think is in this place,” said Charles Chadwell, dean of the Sanghi College of Engineering, at a ribbon-cutting event that was part of NAU’s Homecoming festivities on Saturday. “The lab is a center of science, it’s a center of engineering, of technology, of opportunity for our region.”
Flagstaff Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet, Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce President Julie Pastrick, Arizona Technology Council president Steven G. Zylstra, dozens of alumni and supporters of NAU and representatives of the Arizona tech industry joined Steve Sanghi, Chadwell, NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera, ACA President Sandra Watson, College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences Dean Roger Haro, and Rich Bowen, senior vice president of the Northern Arizona Technology Park. Chadwell also recognized SCE Associate Dean Michael Shafer, who ushered a five-year plan to completion in just 18 months.
“From the start, MPaCT was envisioned as a living-learning laboratory—students, faculty and industry partners tackling real industry challenges together,” President Cruz Rivera said. “Students gain skills, mentorship and professional connections, and companies gain faculty expertise, research capability and emerging talent. These partnerships let education and innovation advance together.”
Watson said that since 2020, Arizona has attracted more than 70 semiconductor expansion projects, representing more than $319 billion in investment. Her goal is to keep that momentum going, and NAU’s focus on semiconductor research and education is a critical piece of that.
“Sustaining that momentum requires more than investment alone—it requires world-class universities, it requires cutting-edge research, and it requires a workforce prepared to lead the industries of the future,” Watson said. “The MPaCT Lab is a perfect example of how Arizona is preparing for the future.”
“Institutions distinguish themselves by pinpointing where existing strengths, strategic investment and human talent converge to deliver exceptional results,” Haro said. “MPaCT represents that margin of excellence for NAU. It expands research-quality capabilities on campus, creates new possibilities across physics, chemistry, materials science, computation, engineering and environmental science, and opens doors to collaboration with external researchers and industry partners.”
To learn more about the MPaCT Lab, visit nano.nau.edu.