News Release

UC San Diego Unveils Cymer Center for Control Systems and Dynamics

The 22 faculty members in UC San Diego's Cymer Center for Control Systems and Dynamics, 14 of whom are included in this photograph, have developed a curriculum focused on such practical industrial problems as communication systems and networks, seismic protection, aerospace and marine systems, sensor networks, and other subjects.

San Diego, CA, May 29, 2008 -- The University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering has announced today that Cymer Inc. has provided major sponsorship of a novel educational and research program designed to train engineers to improve the performance of wide variety of industrial products and processes.

The new Cymer Center for Control Systems and Dynamics (CCSD), which will educate many of the finest students in the country in the field of controls, is designed to put UC San Diego’s Jacobs School on the fast track to industry partnerships in numerous high tech arenas.

The Cymer Center for Control Systems and Dynamics will provide a wide range of control classes and seminars that are unmatched in depth and breadth by any other university in the U.S. The center’s curriculum is focused on such practical industrial problems as communication systems and networks, seismic protection, aerospace and marine systems, sensor networks, and other subjects.  Encouraging collaboration among UC San Diego schools and departments, from engineering and mathematics, to cognitive science and physics, the center is expected to attract many of the nation’s best and brightest students.

“The field of controls has matured to the point where we can now apply what we are learning from fusion reactors and magnetic levitation trains to numerous other areas of application, including cell biology, or traction, stability, and engine controls in vehicles,” said Miroslav Krstic, founding director of CCSD and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the Jacobs School. “The new center will broaden the faculty’s exposure to practical problems to a growing list of important industrial applications.”

Cymer’s co-founders and UC San Diego alumni, Bob Akins and Rick Sandstrom, have ensured a long-standing relationship with the university. Cymer has funded scholarships for the Jacobs School of Engineering and endowed two faculty chairs—along with other philanthropic involvement—to support the school and further UC San Diego’s position as a top educational institution.

“Cymer is proud to maintain our close relationship with UC San Diego and excited to support the Jacobs School in its development and unveiling of this visionary center,” said Bob Akins, CEO of Cymer. “In watching the caliber of UC San Diego’s students rise over the years, we appreciate the contributions students have made after leaving the school. This new center will give students the tools they need to continue UC San Diego’s track record of excellence in the field of controls.”

The center will officially open on May 30.  P.S. Krishnaprasad, professor at the University of Maryland’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Institute for Systems Research, will be the inaugural speaker at the 3 p.m. opening celebration; Krstic, director of the center, will speak on behalf of UC San Diego; Akins will elaborate on Cymer’s involvement with UC San Diego and the company’s role as the major sponsor of the CCSD.

About Cymer
Headquartered in San Diego, Cymer develops technology to aid in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips that power consumer electronic devices including MP3 players, computers, PDAs, among many others.  Cymer technology impacts the way we work, communicate and play every day.  Cymer is committed to giving back to the San Diego community with support for civic, cultural, educational, environmental and health initiatives that benefit the community, and donates more than $1 million locally each year. For additional information on Cymer please visit www.cymer.com.

Media Contacts

Rex Graham
Jacobs School of Engineering
858-822-3075
rgraham@soe.ucsd.edu

Jesse Lovejoy
Cymer Inc.
619-234-0345
Lovejoy@formulapr.com