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University of Vermont outlines workforce programs and wins federal GaN tech hub designation
Summary
University of Vermont officials told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development that UVM is expanding workforce programs, rural grants and a bio‑incubator, and announced Vermont’s selection as a federal Gallium Nitride (GaN) Tech Hub; UVM seeks state matching funds and private commitments to support start‑ups.
The University of Vermont told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on Jan. 21 that the university is expanding workforce and rural economic programs and has been designated the state’s federal GaN (gallium nitride) Tech Hub, an award UVM said will spur startups and manufacturing work in Vermont.
“95% of our graduates are employed or continuing their education six months after they graduate from UVM,” Wendy Koenig, Executive Director of Government Relations for the University of Vermont, said in testimony. Koenig told committee members UVM places about 1,100 graduates into Vermont’s workforce each year and employs roughly 4,500 faculty and staff.
The designation as a GaN Tech Hub—part of the federal Tech Hub program—was described by Koenig as a second‑round award for Vermont after an earlier unsuccessful application. Koenig said the overall Tech Hub grant is “for almost $24 million,” and that UVM is asking the state for $1 million in matching funds and seeking a $1 million commitment from GlobalFoundries to create startup grants and a characterization lab. Koenig said UVM and private partners have already secured roughly $4 million for a characterization lab while waiting for federal funding.
Why it matters: Koenig presented the initiatives as linked to workforce retention, rural economic development and commercialization of university research. The Tech Hub focuses on GaN, a semiconductor material Koenig said can speed electricity conduction at lower temperatures and has applications in electric vehicles and rapid charging. She said GlobalFoundries is the U.S. chipmaker working on GaN that is already a partner in Vermont’s effort and has received significant federal support through the CHIPS and Science Act.
Programs and funds Koenig described
- Green Mountain Jobs and Retention: a state fund administered by UVM that provides up to $5,000 over two years to graduates of Vermont institutions who take jobs in the state. Koenig said the program was expanded beyond undergraduates to include master’s degree recipients and to allow recipients who start businesses to qualify.
- Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships: described as a federally funded entity affiliated with UVM’s Office of Engagement. Koenig said the institute distributes about $3 million a year in grants to rural Vermont communities for projects ranging from municipal capacity building to health access programs such as Bridges to Health.
- Bio incubator and lab space: Koenig said UVM has partnered with BioLabs of Boston to launch a bio incubator offering wet lab space to startups, intended to provide lower‑cost lab facilities in Vermont compared with Boston.
- Workforce and continuing education partnerships: Koenig said UVM’s professional and continuing education unit is offering certificate programs, funded in part by the state, to members of the Vermont National Guard and their families; participants are guaranteed interviews with a list of about 50 participating employers, though not guaranteed jobs.
Other notes from committee discussion
- Koenig said UVM’s research budget is about $270 million in extramural support annually and that the university’s total economic impact on Vermont is approximately $1.4 billion each year. She noted that about one‑third of Vermont’s physicians train at UVM’s Larner College of Medicine.
- Representative Priestley was identified in the meeting as a member of UVM’s board of trustees and was cited as an additional point of contact for committee members seeking further information.
- Representative Kurt Olson praised UVM’s small, town‑level research projects, citing an example of a UVM compilation on the impacts of rural elementary school closures that flowed through the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships.
- Koenig also described a partnership between UVM’s federally funded Center on Rural Addiction and the city of Burlington on overdose prevention and related pilot projects, offering UVM expertise and best‑practice research to local efforts.
The committee did not take a formal vote on any request during the meeting. Koenig said the UVM board of trustees is conducting a presidential search after President Suresh Garimella left in September; she said an announcement about a search outcome was likely to begin in February. Koenig invited committee members to contact her with questions about UVM programs and regional partnerships.
Ending
Koenig asked the committee to consider the university’s $1 million appropriations request as part of this year’s budget process to provide matching funds for the GaN Tech Hub effort and related startup support. The committee scheduled additional hearings and intercommittee events later in the day; no formal committee action on UVM funding took place during the session.
