The search for qualified talent in the semiconductor industry continues to grow exponentially, with the shortage of engineers alone expected to exceed 100,000 each in the United States and Europe and upward of 200,000 in Asia-Pacific (excluding China) in the coming years, according to McKinsey & Co. Worse still, the anticipated retirement of up to one third of industry workers over the next decade will exacerbate the challenge.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 57.4% of women participated in the workforce in 2023 in the U.S. According to a World Bank report, women make up less than a third of the world’s workforce in technology-related fields. And while the number of women pursuing STEM studies has increased in recent years, girls in Europe who are interested in STEM education at age 11 often have a change of heart by age 15. One reason for this switch? A lack of role models.
Women in Semiconductors (WiS) was initiated in 2016 to address the unique challenges faced by women in the industry and discuss how women can be supported better in their desire to move into leadership positions. The annual program is now managed by the SEMI Foundation. I recently spoke with this year’s WiS co-chairs, Brittney Graff, Ph.D., Sr. Global Product Marketing Manager at Brooks Instrument, and Mayrita Arrandale, Senior Account Manager at Applied Materials, about their work on the WiS committee, their careers, and why supporting a diverse workforce and women is critical to the success of the semiconductor industry.
Kindling: How did you become involved in the Women in Semiconductors committee and program?
Arrandale: I was invited to join the committee by Janay Camp, Ph.D. of KLA, my former manager and then member of the ASMC committee. Janay had thought it would be a great way for me to network within the semiconductor industry as a new hire to the company. When I moved to Applied Materials, I wanted to stay involved and fortunately there was a committee spot open.
Graff: I attended ASMC (virtually) in 2021 and found that the WiS program bookended the annual manufacturing conference. I had never attended it in the past and my manager recommended that I participate. After the conference I connected with SEMI Foundation staff and ended up joining the WiS committee. Since then, I have been an active member and have loved getting to know and network with other high-performing women in the semiconductor community.
WiS panelists (L-R)): Kate Dei Case, EMD Electronics; Antoinette Hamilton, Lam Research, KT Moore, Cadence Design; Sydney Tsai, Ph.D., IBM Almaden Research Center; Shari Liss, SEMI Foundation
Kindling: What can industry leaders do to better engage and inspire female students to pursue a career in the semiconductor industry?
Arrandale: They need to have more women in visible leadership roles. Industry leaders must focus on building strong relationships with universities and colleges in their ecosystems so there is a bridge between academics and positions within their companies. Companies should emphasize flexibility and opportunities for growth, recognizing that women often take on caregiver roles. By providing flexible work arrangements and diverse career paths, companies can support women in remaining and excelling in the industry.
Graff: Getting leaders involved in DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) initiatives in an authentic and open-minded way is so helpful. When an organization sees those leaders, not just attending but actively trying to learn and participate in initiatives to better support women in the semiconductor field, they set the cultural precedent that the viewpoint and experiences of women in the field has value. Additionally, when leaders highlight the impressive women at their companies, both in front of that person and behind closed doors to their management, they demonstrate their allyship.
Kindling: We recently celebrated Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. How did your company recognize employees at your company?
Arrandale: To recognize women at Applied Materials, we launched Women Who Rock!, a monthly series profiling women making a significant impact at our company and in the semiconductor industry. We will be sharing stories of women who are disruptors, innovators and transformers – driving positive change at Applied to help Make Possible a Better Future, the company’s framework for generating positive impact. We thanked our employees for their contributions to our industry as we continue to inspire inclusion and Make Possible a Better Future.
Melvin Lee, MDP Operations Manager at Applied Materials, recognized his diverse team and how he’s creating an inclusive environment. He said, “Having worked with the talented female techs we have on the team, I know women can excel in this field and become leaders in the semiconductor industry. Our leaders recognize that change starts with them.”
Graff: Our Employee Resource Group ITW Women’s Network (IWN) hosted a global virtual event featuring Erika Gilchrist from The Unstoppable Woman, a platform that celebrates and supports ambitious women. ITW also hosted a local celebration onsite with cake, giveaways, and a photobooth.
Kindling: The first West Coast WiS program was held last November. What were your biggest takeaways from that event?
Arrandale: I was so touched and moved by the willingness of keynote speaker Regina Freed and the panelists to be vulnerable and talk about difficult topics affecting women in tech. That kind of sharing and open dialogue allows everyone around them to be equally vulnerable and dig into the hard parts of what we are all struggling with. Candid conversations and open discourse on challenging situations allow everyone that is part of the discussion to think differently and look to solutions or actions we can take back to our organizations.
Graff: The folks from the November 2023 panel did an amazing job. One thing that made their panel so well received was how incredibly open and authentic they were in their answers. They shared personal stories about challenges and difficulties that they overcame while giving genuine and tangible advice. For example, Kate Dei Cas of EMD Electronics shared her personal story about a grand opening event speech she had recently given. She explained the emotions that she felt and publicly displayed when thanking her team.
Kate also shared the discomfort she felt in showing emotion while speaking publicly. However, she noted how her team appreciated that raw emotion as she leaned into her feelings regarding her team. Finally, the one piece of advice that really stuck with me was the statement from KT Moore of Cadence Design Systems: “If you want an ally, be an ally.” Since walking away from the panel, I have kept that in my mind and have thought regularly about how I can be a better ally, not just for women, but in general.
Kindling: What resources would you recommend to individuals and companies on how to be better allies to women in the workplace?
Arrandale: I love reading and think it’s a great way to educate yourself and then educate others. We recently read Good Guys as a committee and then as our first WiS book club book – it’s about workplace allies, and has lots of great tips and suggestions on how to handle microaggressions in the workplace. In addition to personal education, I think executives and managers would gain valuable insights by engaging in roundtable discussions with employees to understand what’s important to them.
Additionally, I recommend companies explore joining Catalyst. This global nonprofit organization is dedicated to advancing women in the workplace by providing valuable tools and insights to promote gender equality and foster a more inclusive work environment.
Graff: I agree with Mayrita. Reading literature on the topic can be so eye-opening. The Good Guys caused me to question some of my own inherent biases and really think about how I could be a better ally and manager. I also think that reading these books forces us, our peers, and companies to stop and ask the questions, the hard questions, even when it is uncomfortable. One of the best conversations that I have had was with a colleague who asked me what was attractive to me about a company from my perspective as a woman. He was interested in how to attract talent, regardless of gender, to his team. Those questions stemmed from his desire to understand better a different perspective. For that I am grateful.
Kindling: Is there someone who has supported you in your career or been an inspiration?
Arrandale: When I was a freshman at Union College, I took an elective course on semiconductor materials in the spring term with Professor Michael Hagerman. He taught the course with such passion and joy. I did three summers of research with him and just loved that time in the lab. At the end of my time at Union, I had thought I wanted to be pre-med, but I panicked days before graduation.
Prof. Hagerman, so calm and cool, offered to find an open spot for me in a friend’s lab at CNSE. He supported me in getting an application ready in just days and that’s where I did my master’s degree work. Prof. Hagerman’s unwavering support is something I’ll never forget. He sparked an interest in semiconductors that has stuck with me and led me to where I am today.
Graff: Like most, my family and partner have supported me in my career. However, Sashi Majety, a previous manager at Intel, and now a friend, has been and still is to this day one of the biggest supporters and advocates in my career. He taught me how to use data to frame my messages to stakeholders. As his employee, he always expected excellence but was kind and thoughtful in his mentoring. He would often push me outside of my comfort zone just to challenge me and help me grow. Above all, I most wish to emulate the way he leads his team with his heart first, treating people as true individuals.
Kindling: What can attendees expect from this year’s Women in Semiconductors, scheduled on May 16 in conjunction with ASMC?
Arrandale: Our aim was to develop an agenda that is both engaging and informative for attendees at every stage and level of their careers. We are continuing to build on prior years and want to keep putting together all the puzzle pieces for people to feel like they are or can work in inclusive and welcoming spaces.
We would love it if attendees left the event feeling like they made new connections, found supportive resources and learned new skills. At the end of the day, while each of us is just one person, we have the ability to affect so many others. We hope that this event inspires each of the attendees to go affect positive change in their workplaces.
Graff: Mayrita and I are so excited for the program that the committee has worked to bring you all this year. The topic of fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace builds upon the previous WiS theme series: allyship. We all know that companies have been working hard to attract and retain talented individuals and an inclusive workplace is one way to do that. But what inclusion means can vary from individual to individual.
This topic, while important to women, is not solely relevant to them. In this year’s series, we will be discussing experiences and offering advice and techniques about how to better support both ourselves and our colleagues. As always you will have the opportunity to meet and network with amazing individuals in the semiconductor industry. If you are joining Women in Semiconductors for the first time, we welcome your support and allyship. We hope you find our group to be a safe space to authentically learn, challenge the status quo, and find a supportive community.
For more details and to register for WiS 2024, visit the event website.
About the Interviewees
Brittney Graff, Ph.D. is Sr. Global Product Marketing Manager at Brooks Instrument, a division of ITW. She supports the semiconductor business unit by bringing the voice of the customer to support both the growth and improvement of her current products as well as the development of new products. Graff is active in ITW Women’s Network (IWN) and serves on the IWN NE steering committee. Prior to joining Brooks Instrument, Graff worked at Intel Corporation in dry etch. She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh, where Brittney studied Photo-induced Electron Transfer in Molecular Systems and Nanoparticle Assemblies under David Waldeck. She has a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from Franklin and Marshall College.
Mayrita Arrandale is a Sales Account Manager at Applied Materials. She lives in upstate New York, where she enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors with her partner, son and daughter. Mayrita, like many millennials, loves reading, birding, puzzles and learning to crochet and only misses the mark on all things cliché by not yet learning to make sourdough bread. She energetically supports WiS, mentoring and other outreach that promotes the recruitment and retention of women in STEAM.
Margaret Kindling is senior program manager of DEI at the SEMI Foundation. In addition to Women in Semiconductors, she also manages Semiconductor PRIDE, Semiconductor Day and workforce development programming at SEMICON West.