Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1185676
16 PCB007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2019 copper-plated microvias as an intern. Seeing a production board go through the shop is run- of-the-mill now, whereas two years ago, it was something on which we were actively work- ing. It's cool to see your project come to frui- tion. Johnson: That is indeed a rapid turnaround for getting results from an intern project. What are some of the dynamics you see in our industry right now that stand out to you? Thurston: One thing that stands out to me about this industry is that there are so many different parts of it. You have the PCB design side, which feeds into the manufacturing and assembly sides, which ultimately goes to an OEM to be in their product. Each of these areas of PCB design, manufacturing, and assembly is connected but still so separate. It's interest- ing that you need to have a general idea of all of those aspects of the process to succeed. For example, as a PCB man- ufacturer, we have to know a little bit about both design and assem- bly to help our end cus- tomers problem-solve and design their boards so that we can make them; it's a full product life cycle, and you get to be involved in all of that. Holden: When you first started college, what did you think chemical engineers did? What would you have liked to know before you be- came an intern? Thurston: I was influenced by where I went to school. In the Midwest, a big thing for chemi- cal engineers is consumer products. Wiscon- sin has the Fox River Valley area where there's a lot of consumer and paper products being made. Naturally, Wisconsin is close to the Up- per Peninsula of Michigan, so a lot of recruit- ers from consumer product companies recruit at Michigan Tech. As an impressionable fresh- man, if that's who you always see on campus, then that's what you think your options are. I always thought I would go into consumer products because that seemed to be the most marketed industry in the Midwest. The PCB industry could work on marketing more to students! But the new IPC student chapters on college campuses are a great step in the right direc- tion to involve students earlier because you almost have to reach them as freshmen and sophomores while they're trying to get their first internship in order for them to stay in the industry. If you're pursuing senior engineers, they probably already have their career trajec- tory mapped out and have had internships that influence where they want to go full-time, so it may be too late. It's about getting to people right when they start so that they are excited about this industry, take relevant classes, and find internships that will help them enter this industry; then, you can build on experience from there. Johnson: Were you in- volved with IPC and the formation of the student chapters? Thurston: I wasn't di- rectly involved with that, but I was involved with the introductory PCB class that Happy was a part of at Michi- gan Tech. As a young engineer, attending that class was incredibly valuable because various experts from different companies taught the class about the industry, so listening to them was awesome. I learned a lot. As far as the IPC student chapters, Michi- gan Tech has one, which started last spring. It hasn't been around long, but I hope it con- tinues to grow. I want to increase my involve- ment as an outside advisor to lend some sup- port, too, especially since I work in the nearby area. We're giving an informational session on