BCC Awarded $202K for Microelectronics Project

10:51AM / Friday, January 09, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is a recipient of a Supporting Chip Advancement from Lab to Enterprise (SCALE) Capital Program grant, awarded by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC), in the amount of $202,200.

The award is part of $10.2 million in grant funds that support 10 microelectronics projects throughout the Commonwealth.

The SCALE awards are designed to supercharge the microelectronics industry across Massachusetts, including AI hardware, nanotechnology and quantum computing. Grants will fund the purchase of capital equipment to support workforce and technology development at higher education institutions, companies and nonprofit organizations.

At BCC, the grant funds will be used to purchase a scanning electron microscope, as well as sample preparation equipment, for the Workforce Microelectronics Training Program. Associate Professor of Engineering Dr. José Colmenares explained that the scanning electron microscope is a powerful device that uses electrons instead of light to magnify images. These images are so small that a traditional light microscope would be inadequate. He also said that while the grant funds will support electronic components, circuit elements and microchips for BCC's Engineering Department, they can also be used by all departments of the college for various scientific applications.

"The Engineering Department is thrilled to receive grant funding for an electron microscope that will transform how we teach engineering and mechatronics. This powerful tool will give students hands-on experience with micro- and nanoscale structures, directly preparing the next generation of technical professionals for careers in microelectronic manufacturing," Dr. Colmenares said. "We are excited to integrate this technology into our curriculum and expand authentic, industry-aligned learning opportunities for our students."

SCALE builds on NEMC's mission to rapidly accelerate microelectronics ecosystem development by supporting projects that unite the microelectronics community, develop technologies to attract additional investment, and boost workforce development programs to fill regional gaps.

"The SCALE Capital Program is a strategic investment in the future of Massachusetts' microelectronics industry," said Governor Maura Healey. "Massachusetts is focused on bridging the gap between development and commercialization so that microelectronics companies based here can better compete globally. That starts with providing the equipment to advance projects and supporting training for new entrants in the industry."

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Social Service Organizations Highlight Challenges, Successes at Poverty Talk

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
08:04AM / Sunday, April 05, 2026

Dr. Jennifer Michaels of the Brien Center demonstrates how to use Narcan. Easy access to the drug has cut overdose deaths in the county by nearly half.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Recent actions at the federal level are making it harder for people to climb out of poverty.

Brad Gordon, executive director of Upside413, said he felt like he was doing a disservice by not recognizing national challenges and how they draw a direct line from choices being made by the Trump administration and the challenges the United States is facing.

"They more generally impact people's ability to work their way out of poverty, and that's really, that's really the overarching dynamic," he said.

"Poverty is incredibly corrosive, and it impacts all the topics that we'll talk about today."

His comments came during a conversation on poverty hosted by Berkshire Community Action Council. Eight local service agency leaders detailed how they are supporting people during the current housing and affordability crisis, and the Berkshire state delegation spoke to their own efforts.

The event held on March 27 at the Berkshire Athenaeum included a working lunch and encouraged public feedback.

"All of this information that we're going to gather today from both you and the panelists is going to drive our next three-year strategic plan," explained Deborah Leonczyk, BCAC's executive director.

The conversation ranged from health care and housing production to financial literacy and child care. Participating agencies included Upside 413, The Brien Center, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, MassHire Berkshire Career Center, Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Child Care of the Berkshires.

The federal choices Gordon spoke about included allocating $140 billion for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investing $38 billion to convert warehouses into detention centers, cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years, a proposed 50 percent increase in the defense budget, and cutting federal funding for supportive housing programs.

Gordon pointed to past comments about how the region can't build its way out of the housing crisis because of money. He withdrew that statement, explaining, "You know what? That's bullshit, actually."

"I'm going to be honest with you, that is absolute bullshit. I have just observed over the last year or so how we're spending our money and the amount of money that we're spending on the federal side, and I'm no longer saying in good conscience that we can't build our way out of this," he said.

Upside 413 provided a "Housing Demand in Western Massachusetts" report that was done in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's Donahue Institute of Economic and Public Policy Research. It states that around 23,400 units are needed to meet current housing demand in Western Mass; 1,900 in Berkshire County in 2025.

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