Securing The Talent Pipeline – Attracting and Retaining the Workforce for Semiconductor Facilities

Mike Knapp is from Oregon and attended Oregon State University where he graduated with a Masters of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration. Since moving to Austin in 2014 he has worked at Samsung Austin Semiconductor with a short stop in automotive manufacturing during that time as well. Water nerd by heart that 'fell into' the industry and enjoy all that water offers. Primary focus is industrial wastewater treatment, and always looking for way to collaborate on application of existing and emerging technologies. Hobbies include continuously learning within the water industry, music, comedy, mentoring, running and hiking the hill country, and spoiling his two dogs.

Greg Newbloom PhD is the founder and CEO of Membrion. Greg invented Membrion's novel ceramic membranes while receiving his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington. Greg's passion for sustainability and entrepreneurship drove him to found Membrion with one goal in mind ' to go where no other membrane can go and to be the industry leader in the treatment of 'untreatable' wastewaters.

Patrick “Pat” Phelan is a Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU), the Associate Dean for Engineering Graduate Programs, and the Director of the ASU Energy Efficiency Center including the ASU Industrial Training & Assessment Center sponsored by the US Department of Energy. He received his BS from Tulane University, his MS from MIT, his PhD from UC Berkeley, and was a post-doc at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. He served as the Director of the NSF Thermal Transport Processes Program, and as the Manager of the Emerging Technologies Program at the DOE Building Technologies Office. He is the Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Energy Efficiency, an ASME Fellow, and will be the General Chair of the 2026 ASTFE Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference.