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The Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering welcomes the 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Robert E. Drubka, lead program manager on the $100 million SHIELD USA program with Arizona State University, who will give a presentation on “Advancing the Revival of American Microelectronics.” This seminar is open to the public and will take place on Friday, March 28, from 3:30–4:30 p.m. in room 104 (auditorium) of the John T. Rettaliata Engineering Center. MMAE Departmental awards will immediately follow the seminar.

Abstract

Arizona State University has emerged as the nation’s leading university in shaping the future of American microelectronics. In collaboration with a large network of industry and government partners, ASU is rebuilding America’s global microelectronics leadership to strengthen national security, fuel economic growth and ensure the United States remains globally competitive. As the recipient of three of the largest investments under the CHIPS and Science Act, ASU carries out work across the entire microelectronics ecosystem—from front-end innovation to advanced packaging and large-scale manufacturing.  

This lecture will examine the current microelectronics ecosystem at ASU and discuss a few of the recent new programs including SWAP Hub and SHIELD USA. Led by Arizona State University, the Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) Hub is one of eight regional innovation hubs established under the Department of Defense’s Microelectronics Commons, an initiative to accelerate the development and production of microelectronics technologies that are critical to U.S. security and defense. SHIELD USA, a collaboration led by ASU and Deca Technologies, supports a robust domestic microelectronics packaging ecosystem through development of leap ahead technologies—focused on molded core organic substrates—through research, testing and qualification of new materials, processes and equipment.

Biography

Robert Drubka is the lead program manager on the $100 million SHIELD USA program with the Arizona State University, under the NAPMP, NOFO 1 award. The project will drive innovation in the domestic microchip packaging ecosystem, expand capacity for domestic advanced packaging and help regain U.S. leadership in microelectronics while strengthening national security. It will design and develop molded core substrates that enable leap-ahead performance in organic substrate-based microelectronics packages. 

Previous to this, he was the director of business development for the University of Texas at Austin’s Discovery to Impact team. He brings extensive industry experience bringing new products and services to market which bring industry leading financial performance. Drubka worked to develop opportunities to transition UTA developed technologies to market and work across the broader University of Texas at Austin ecosystem to foster tech and knowledge transfer.

Prior to joining UT, Drubka was the VP/GM for the Security and Inspection Products business in Varian Medical Systems and then its spinoff to Varex Imaging. During this time, he grew the business from $7 million/year to $100 million/year and developed a global footprint. His team developed the first commercial dual energy x-ray source providing key material information on cargo shipments in trucks and containers at ports and borders. Prior to this, Drubka held executive roles in the Security Space at L3 Communications and in Aerospace at Boeing and McDonnell Douglas Space Systems. Drubka also co-founded three deep tech startups including companies in Engineering Services, Robotic Agricultural Harvesting, and Concentrated Solar Energy. Drubka started his career as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the State University of New York at Stonybrook.  

Drubka received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and his M.B.A. from the University of California at Irvine. He holds 13 patents related to power systems, fluid/thermal techniques, high energy x-ray sources, and imaging and is well published.