Queens College to Build the Borough’s First “Cleanroom” with Nanofabrication Capabilities; One of Three Student- and Community-Focused College STEM Projects to Receive Federal Funding
—Projects will advance research and student career readiness, strengthening collaborations with NYC-based tech companies; will mobilize local youth and underserved residents to use emerging technologies for economic opportunity and community
benefit—
Flushing, NY, February XX—The construction of the borough’s first nanofabrication facility—or “cleanroom”—is one of three Queens College student- and community-focused STEM (the acronym that comprises science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in education) projects to receive a combined total of over $3 million in federal funding secured by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens).
The nanofabrication facility, jointly funded by Meng and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, uniquely positions the college to help train a highly skilled and diverse workforce, preparing students for 21st-century careers while strengthening New York’s leadership in advanced technology and innovation. The other two projects, funded by Meng, will train students to examine the security of digital data, addressing critical issues and solutions in the ever-expanding arena of cybersecurity, and mobilize local youth and underserved residents to use emerging technologies for economic opportunity and community benefit.
“This funding positions the college as a leader in technological research and development, STEM education, and career readiness—a combination that is so vital to students who are entering today’s workforce,” said Queens College President Frank H. Wu. “Congresswoman Meng has always been a tremendous supporter of Queens College, and we are proud to be in her district. We are grateful to her and Senator Gillibrand for recognizing the value not only of scientific research and practical education, but also the college’s indispensable role within the borough and city.”
Meng, New York’s senior member of the House Appropriations Committee—which funds federal agencies, programs and initiatives—added, “Queens College does a tremendous job educating our future workforce and these projects will help ensure that students are well prepared in crucial and demanding fields such as STEM. Our students are our future. We must make the investments they require, and this money will also benefit our great borough. I’m proud to fight for Queens College to help ensure it has the resources it needs and that includes this more than $3 million I secured. I look forward to these exciting initiatives moving forward.”
Over $1 million of the allocation will fund technology, equipment, and personnel for a new state-of-the-art cleanroom facility at the college, serving as a critical hub for cutting-edge nanofabrication research.
Nanoscience is the quintessential interdisciplinary field, bringing together disciplines such as physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering. Modern-day global connectivity is made possible through nanofabrication—the set of technologies used to build incredibly small devices, with features up to 100,000 times thinner than the width of a human hair. These processes make modern smartphones possible and power the advanced computer chips behind artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Because nanofabrication works at such tiny scales, it must be done in extremely clean environments—even a single microscopic dust particle can ruin an entire chip. For this reason, nanofabrication takes place in specialized facilities called “cleanrooms,” which continuously filter particles from the air.
The Queens College facility—a Class 1,000 facility, meaning it removes more than 99.9% of airborne particles that could interfere with device fabrication—will enhance the college’s capacity to conduct original research in micro- and nanotechnology. Based out of the college’s Physics Department, it will allow students and researchers to design and build advanced prototypes directly on campus, revitalizing research activity and strengthening collaborations with New York City-based technology companies. Research areas that rely on nanofabrication at Queens College include semiconductors, laser technology, solar energy, and the development of next-generation cancer sensors.
The facility will also provide an exceptional hands-on learning environment for undergraduate and graduate students. Nanofabrication skills are in especially high demand following the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States. New York State is already a national leader in this sector, yet many high-paying jobs remain unfilled due to a shortage of trained workers.
More than $1 million in funding will help create the Queens College Working Group for Digital Forensics: Analysis and Defense – Education, Studies, and Applications, based in the Computer Science Department.
The focus of the working group will be the education and training of students in the security of digital data at rest and in transit, from an introduction to data protection through encryption to security log analyses to forensic analysis and threat identification and mitigation.
The working group will be a hands-on practicum in which students will gain a solid foundation in critical issues and solutions and best practices in the ever-expanding arena of cybersecurity.
The program will bring in experts from outside Queens College to lecture and teach from experience: from fundamental and theoretical models to the vantage of the seasoned ethical hacker—an individual with the same skill set as a malicious hacker, but whose goal is always to improve network security without harm to the network or its users. Such varied perspectives will help students understand the practical side of what goes into the creation of protections and how attacks can be launched—and detected and thwarted.
The Tech Incubator at Queens College (TIQC) will receive over $1 million to support the Queens Technology and Innovation Hub, an expansion that helps build the borough’s capacity to educate, train, and mobilize local talent through a dedicated center for technology and innovation.
Located at Queens College, the hub will feature state-of-the-art facilities for hands-on training in high-demand areas including AI and machine learning, blockchain, data analytics, and cybersecurity.
The hub will launch community impact programs that apply emerging technologies to real local needs, improving public services and quality of life, with a particular emphasis on youth engagement and development. Queens College student founders and interns will act as a talent source for Queens entrepreneurs and small business owners with guidance from alumni and industry mentors.
To accelerate workforce development and real-world applications, the hub will form strategic partnerships with anchor institutions—such as Google, Verizon, the Queens Public Library, and local health systems—focused on co-designed training, applied projects, and pathways into internships and jobs.
Queens College enjoys a national reputation for its liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional programs. With more than 60 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate degree and certificate and honors programs, and research and internship opportunities, the college helps its students realize their potential in countless ways, assisted by an accessible, award-winning faculty. Located on a beautiful, 80-acre campus in Flushing, New York, the college has been cited by Princeton Review as one of America’s Best Value Colleges, as well as being ranked eighth as a Forbes College with the Highest Return on Investment for Graduates Nationwide, and sixth as a Wall Street Journal Best Value College Nationwide, thanks to its outstanding academics, generous financial aid packages, and relatively low costs. Princeton Review has designated QC a Best College for 34 consecutive years—since the guide’s inception. Forbes Magazine, Money Magazine, Princeton Review, and U.S. News and World Report recognize it as an overall top northeastern public college. Visit our homepage to learn more.
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