Our Team
Meet the NNME Team
The National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) is powered by a dedicated team of leaders committed to building a strong and sustainable semiconductor workforce for the United States.
Together, we bring decades of experience in education, workforce development, research, and industry collaboration — all united by a shared vision to connect learning to opportunity and innovation to impact.
NNME Hub
Dr. Jennifer Ellis
National Director
Siri Balijepally
Sr. Program Manager, Tech Platforms & Delivery
Steven Gause
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Patrick Gillen
Manager, Workforce Development & Special Projects
Melinda Gomez
Manager of Veteran Initiatives
Lauren Gutierrez-Brown
Administrative Assistant
Ian James-Bergland
Sr. Manager, Finance & Compliance
Anissa Hamdon-Morison
Curriculum Developer & Training Manager
Allison Lewis
Project Manager
Janine McCormick
Contract & Compliance Administrator
Megan Wagner
Manager, Regional Nodes
Richard Walker
Sr. Program Manager, Industry Awareness
Alex Winslow
Hub Manager, NNME
NNME Southwest
Ken Burns
Chief Operating Officer
Kolu Wilson
Chief Workforce Officer
Vic Narusis
Executive Director, Industry Development
Olga Leslie Teran
Workforce Program Manager
NNME Northeast
Dr. Robert Geer
Vice President of Education and Workforce Development at CREATES; Professor of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, University at Albany
Dr. F. Shadi Shahedipour-Sandvik
Senior Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, SUNY
NNME South
Dr. Alyssa Reinhart
Director of Workforce Development
Texas Institute for Electronics
University of Texas at Austin
NNME Pacific-Intermountain
Kurtis Cantley
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director, Microelectronics Education and Research Center, Boise State University
Advisory and Strategic Partners
The NNME is guided by a national network of advisors and partners representing higher education, industry, government, and nonprofits. Together, they help ensure the Network’s strategies are responsive, data-driven, and aligned with the evolving needs of the semiconductor ecosystem.