Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Alkim Akyurtlu, right, has been named a NextFlex Fellow for her leadership and contributions to the field of hybrid electronics manufacturing.
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Alkim Akyurtlu was recently named a NextFlex Fellow in recognition of her leadership in advancing the field of hybrid flexible electronics manufacturing.
Akyurtlu is the director, from the UML side, of the Raytheon UMass Lowell Research Institute (RURI). She is also director of the Printed Electronics Research Collaborative (PERC).
Founded in 2015, NextFlex is a public-private partnership whose mission is to advance the design and production of the fast-growing area of flexible hybrid electronics. With members in industry, academia and government, the group focuses on expanding the electronics industrial manufacturing base, developing the necessary skilled workforce and supporting pilot-scale manufacturing and the commercialization of new technologies.
“Through your collaborations across academia, government and industry, you have demonstrated how strategic partnerships can accelerate innovation while preparing the next generation of advanced manufacturing leaders,” NextFlex Executive Director Dan Gamota wrote in a letter informing Akyurtlu she’d been named a Fellow. “We especially recognize your long-standing collaboration with Raytheon and your role in strengthening the supply chain for hybrid electronics technologies.”
Akyurtlu has been involved with NextFlex since its inception in 2015, participating in numerous projects, working groups and committees. She was one of four NextFlex Fellows appointed this year.
Through PERC and RURI, UMass Lowell is advancing additive manufacturing for radio frequency and microwave applications as well as additive packaging of microelectronics. Students, from undergraduates to doctoral candidates, are getting hands-on experience at PERC and RURI working on a variety of projects and collaborating with industry and other partners, Akyurtlu says.