“My VI-A experience at General Electric Corporate Research and Development provided me the opportunity to work on a diverse set of problems encountered in industry and explore life in an industrial research lab. I have found the experience gained in the VI-A Program invaluable both in start-up environments and corporate research lab settings throughout my career. As a 6-A supervisor we have hosted several 6-A students at Microsoft Research Asia and the students are smart, energetic, and provide fresh perspectives. They also learn from interactions with researchers and other interns. It’s truly a win-win for the students and their mentors.”
Eric Chang, Director of Technology Strategy
Microsoft Research Asia, Beijing, China
VI-A Alumnus
“As a 6-A student at Linear Technology, I worked with passionate industry experts with a deep understanding of how to develop winning products. Through their mentorship, I gained an education that perfectly complemented the coursework at MIT. Now, as a Design Manager at Linear Technology, I have the tremendous opportunity to give back by mentoring 6-A interns as well as full time engineers. Based on my personal experience, I can confidently say that Linear Technology looks to 6-A for top engineering talent and looks to the alumni of the 6-A program for technology leadership.”
John Tilly, Design Engineering Manager
Analog Devices, Milpitas, CA
VI-A Alumnus
“Back at the turn of the century, I was a VI-A student at Linear Technology. I had received an e-mail about the 6-A program, and decided to see what it’s about. What drew me to apply was the promise of combining industry experience with my curriculum at MIT. I hadn’t decided about whether to pursue academics or industry at that point, but I knew I wanted to get a taste of real-world challenges. As it turns out, my internships at Linear gave me a great introduction to what cutting-edge companies are working on, and it gave me a sense of purpose and perspective for my later coursework at MIT. My projects were always of immediate value to the company, and I was happy to be able to apply the tools and knowledge I had learned at MIT. Now that I’ve graduated, I am an advocate for the 6-A program wherever I go. My current company, Maxim Integrated, recently joined the 6-A program, and we are excited to offer the same opportunities to MIT students that are curious about how the best companies operate. Diverse and innovative companies like Maxim give MIT students a unique opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment and solve practical problems. The long-term nature of the 6-A program gives companies a more valuable result from the more rigorous projects that the students undertake. It’s a win-win for all parties involved, and I’m looking forward to working with more MIT students next summer!”
Cheng-Wei Pei, Corporate Applications Engineer
Maxim Integrated Products, Sunnyvale, CA
VI-A Alumnus
“Recruiting and developing engineering talent is critical to the future success of any high technology company. The 6-A program continues to be an instrumental tool in identifying and recruiting engineering talent. The 6-A program’s consecutive assignments enables students to contribute in very meaningful ways to both products and technologies at NetApp. Several thesis projects have contributed to or developed technologies which are now available in NetApp products. The program has grown from one student to seven students in just a few years, we are very proud of the contributions made from the students in this program.”
Steve Miller, Senior Technical Director
NetApp, Sunnyvale, CA
“The 6-A program has enabled Analog Devices to develop a unique relationship with MIT students, faculty and administrators. Our engineers have the luxury of working with students and faculty members on challenging problems critical to the company’s future. At the same time, we take an active role in training a future generation of engineers, some of whom, may end up working at Analog Devices. It is by far our most effective and rewarding recruiting effort!”
Iliana Chen, MIT graduate B.S., M.Eng., 1997,
Ph.D. 2002, IC Design Engineer, MIT Recruiting Team Leader
Analog Devices, Wilmington, MA
“The 6-A program at MIT has become a valuable pipeline of engineering talent for Linear Technology. Since 1998, over two dozen students have interned with Linear in various locations with projects and thesis topics in a variety of analog circuit areas. Numerous intern contributions exist in products we sell today, and over 75% of our 6-A students have become permanent employees after graduation.”
Sam Nork, Director, Boston Design Center
Linear Technology Corporation
North Chelmsford, MA