The conference technical presentations take place on Wednesday, August 26. Industry experts from companies including Gen3 Systems, ViTrox, Europlacer, NMTronics, and KB Consulting/Keiron will share practical insights into the latest advances in electronics manufacturing reliability, automation, SMT production, and emerging manufacturing technologies designed to improve quality, traceability, productivity, and operational efficiency.

The partnership with THPCA strengthens SMTA's presence across the Asia-Pacific supply chain and connects SMTA's global network with Thailand's growing hub for PCB, PCBA, and electronics manufacturing.

Registration is available online through THECA's website and includes access to the entire program on both days as well as conference proceedings, refreshment breaks.

The conference includes the latest electronics manufacturing research and technology from major manufacturers such as Celestica, Collins Aerospace, Rockwell Automation, IBM Corporation, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, Lockheed Martin, Medtronic, Nhanced Semiconductors, Nokia Bell Labs, Samsung, SLB, Spartronics, several global universities, and more.

90+ presentations are organized into the following technical tracks:

• Additively Manufactured Electronics (AME)
  • Breakthroughs in printed electronics, materials, and reliability
• Advanced Packaging (APT)
  • New developments in first-level packaging and assembly
• Low Temperature Solder (LTS)
  • Enabling reflow soldering at temperatures below 200°C
• Manufacturing for Excellence (MFX)
  • Process optimization, productivity, and real-world solutions
• Reliability and Harsh Environments (RHE)
  • Validated technologies that perform in rugged environments
• Test and Inspection (INS)
  • Advanced techniques to ensure product performance over time

Attendees can also choose from 10 Professional Development Courses for more in-depth training. Courses are spread throughout the conference on Monday, October 26, Tuesday, October 27, and Thursday, October 29. Topics include soldering processes, electronics assembly best practices, AI-driven manufacturing, reliability testing, PCB design, and advanced packaging technologies.

The annual Women’s Leadership Program is planned for Monday, October 26. This complimentary program features presentations from women leaders in the electronics industry, roundtable discussions and a connection reception.

On October 27-29, the SMTA International Exposition will showcase equipment and materials from electronics manufacturing technology solutions providers. Attendees to the expo will also have access to The ASSEMBLY Show, which is co-located at the convention center. More than 500 exhibiting companies and over 5500 attendees are expected to participate across the two shows combined, bringing together one of the largest audiences of assembly and electronics manufacturing professionals in the Midwest.

Registration to attend the conference and expo is now available online at:

https://www.smtai.org/register

For more information on SMTA International please contact Karlie Severinson: (smtai@smta.org) or +1-952-920-7682 or visit: https://www.smtai.org/

This year, the recipients of the Next Gen 10 award are:

• Mohammad Alam, Intel Foundry
• Justin Bloom, Millennium Circuits Limited
• Prathiksha Ramprasad Dhanpal, Ampere Computing LLC
• Chelsea Jewell, KYZEN Corporation
• Jean-Baptiste Libot, Hooke Electronics
• Adam Murling, Indium Corporation
• Thuy Nguyen, Indium Corporation
• Nick Ostrom, Lockheed Martin
• Tim Pearson, Collins Aerospace
• Irina Rasid, actnano

"These individuals have distinguished themselves through their technical expertise, leadership, and dedication to advancing the industry," said Sutharshan Suppiramaniam, chair of the SMTA Students and Young Professionals (SYP) Committee. "Their accomplishments at this stage of their careers are already helping shape the future of electronics manufacturing."

Winners will be recognized and receive their awards during a ceremony this October 25-29, 2026 at SMTA International in Rosemont, IL, USA.

View details at the website: https://smta.org/page/nextgen10

Please contact Eve Buchanan, eve@smta.org or +1-952-920-7682, with questions.

The technical program includes a keynote presentation on the status of CHIPS funding to promote onshore production to open the symposium during the opening session on policy and data. Other sessions will address trusted sources, technology tools for avoidance, standards and implementation, detection cases, and machine learning and AI applications in detection. The program features research from MuAnalysis, NHanced Semiconductors, NVIDIA, and more.

The symposium concludes on Thursday, June 25, with three professional development courses instructed by faculty from CALCE/University of Maryland. A full-day course instructed by Michael Azarian, Ph.D., is titled “How to Make the Best Use of 2026 Updates to SAE AS6171.” Peter Sandborn, Ph.D., instructs a concurrent half-day course in the morning titled, “Electronic Part Obsolescence Forecasting, Mitigation and Management.” Diganta Das, Ph.D., will instruct the afternoon course titled, “Understanding and Implementing Industry Standards for Counterfeit Avoidance.”

Registration for this event is now open. Discounted rates are available when registering by Friday, May 22. Access to the two-day symposium and professional development courses are included in the standard conference package, details are available on the registration page.

This award honors those whose inspiration, vision, and influence illuminate the path forward and strengthen the fabric of the SMTA community. It celebrates individuals whose dedication and contributions have elevated the organization and inspired its members - serving as an ongoing mechanism to acknowledge excellence, reinforce organizational values, and encourage continued commitment among the leadership of the SMTA and its Chapters.

Eligible candidates include past or present member of the SMTA Global Board of Directors or chapter officer who demonstrates exceptional leadership, service, and contributions that strengthen the Association. Nominations can be submitted by the SMTA community, including members, partners, and industry peers.

“The introduction of this award not only honors Dr. Hwang’s extraordinary impact to our organization and the electronics manufacturing industry, but also celebrates the individuals who continue to shape the future of SMTA through their leadership and service,” said SMTA Executive Director, Tanya Martin.

Recipients of the Dr. Jennie Hwang Pinnacle Award will receive:

• A monetary prize of $3,000
• A commemorative plaque
• Formal recognition during the SMTAI Annual Conference
• Visibility through SMTA’s official website, social media, and other communication channels

SMTA’s Members of Distinction Award program has recognized exceptional members for their contributions to the association since 1994, and the Dr. Jennie Hwang Pinnacle Award will join the other five awards presented each year. Nominations for the 2026 program are due June 26th.

View details at the website: https://smta.org/awards

The forum opens on Wednesday, May 6, with a comprehensive series of professional development courses designed to build foundational knowledge in contamination control and process reliability. A two-part course, Fundamentals of Measuring Cleanliness, led by Dr. Adam Klett, KYZEN Corporation, and Elliott Fowler, Sandia National Labs, anchors the program, alongside Conformal Coating 101 for Process Engineers presented by Doug Pauls, ItDepends Consulting. Technical sessions focus on Inspection, Cleaning, Mechanical Reliability, Residue Control, and SIR Reliability.

The program continues on Thursday, May 7, with the second installment of the cleanliness measurement course and a featured roundtable discussion led by Chrys Shea, examining how today’s reliability challenges mirror those of the past, offering valuable perspective for navigating current industry demands. The final technical session highlights SMT process optimization, with presentations covering industry standards for component storage, stencil design best practices, process variables impacting printing yield, and advancements in soldering technologies.

The SMTA High Reliability Forum is designed for engineers, technologists, and decision-makers working in high-reliability sectors including aerospace, defense, automotive, and high-performance computing.

Registration is available online and includes access to the entire program on both days as well as conference proceedings, refreshment breaks, and lunch.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for this event and details are posted online.

If there are any questions, please call +1-952-920-7682 or email karlie@smta.org. For more information, visit https://smta.org/star/.

The program covers advancements in Ultra HDI across defense applications, fabrication technologies, materials, assembly processes, test development, research initiatives, and collaboration across the electronics manufacturing ecosystem.

This event sets the stage for researchers, engineers, designers and academia to address the complexities and innovations reshaping the world of Ultra HDI technology, which is producing printed circuit boards and semiconductors with lines and spaces well below 50 microns.

The City of Avondale is a proud partner of this event. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for this event. View more details online.

If there are any questions, please call +1-952-920-7682 or email tara@smta.org. For more information, visit https://smta.org/mpage/uhdi.

The following three papers were selected for the “Best of Proceedings” award:

"The Effect of Dwell Time on Thermal Cycling Performance of High Reliability Solder Alloys with a −55/125 °C Test Condition" by Richard Coyle, Ph.D., Nokia Bell Labs, on behalf of the Collaborative iNEMI and HDP Consortia Teams.

"Sintering Cu Paste as Via Filling Materials for through Glass Via (TGV)" by Yoshinori Ejiri, Masumi Sakamoto, Chiaki Shimizu, Naoyuki Kikuchi, Masayoshi Nishimoto, Seiji Kai, Hiroshi Uragami, Resonac.

"The Relationship Between Solder Joint Voiding and Reliability: A Review" by Dave Hillman, Hillman EAS LLC.

The following three papers received honorable mention in this category:

"Innovative Material Reinforcement Strategies for Advanced Packaging Solutions in Automotive Electronics" by Anna Lifton, Kennedy Fox, Paul Salerno, Ebad Rehman, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions.

"Reliability of Additive In-Mold Electronics Under Grade-3 Automotive Thermal Cycling and Sustained High Temperature" by Shriram Kulkarni, Aditya Harsha, Md Golam Sarwar, Pradeep Lall, Ph.D., Auburn University; Scott Miller, NextFlex National Manufacturing Institute.

"Electromigration in Sn-Bi and SAC305 Solder Alloys" by Prabjit Singh, Ph.D., PJ Consulting, on behalf of the iNEMI Consortia Team.

The following three papers were selected for the “Best Practical and Applications-Based Knowledge” award:

"The Future of Electronics Packaging is Chiplet Architecture" by Pavanbabu Arjunamahanthi, Himanandhan Reddy Kottur, Shajib Ghosh, Patrick Craig, M. Shafkat M. Khan, Liton Kumar Biswas, Istiaq Firoz Shiam, Navid Asadizanjani, University of Florida; Robert Patti, Charles Woychik, NHanced Semiconductors, Inc.

"Progression of AI Agents vs Human Experts: Analysis of Pick and Place Material Downtime Data for Proper Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Guided Actions" by Cameron Sobie, Ph.D., Andrew Scheuermann, Ph.D., Tim Burke, Ph.D., Gadi Meik, Shahar Re'em, Cristobal Zatarain, Arch Systems Inc.

"Using the Pb-Free Solder Reflow Process as a Tin Whisker Risk Mitigation Protocol: A Statistical Assessment" by Dave Hillman, Hillman EAS LLC.

The following three papers received honorable mention in this category:

"Sinusoidal Vibration Testing of High-Reliability Mixed BGA Solder Joints" by Jayse McLean, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group.

"Mitigating Solder Joint Defects Caused by the Warpage of BGA Assembly with Lower Temperature Soldering Phase II: TCT Reliability" by Hongwen Zhang, Ph.D., Danyang Zheng, Ph.D., Mengyao Wen, Huaguang Wang, Ph.D., Francis Mutuku, Ph.D., Indium Corporation.

"Powder Influence in Lead Free Solder Pastes' Rheological Behavior for Use in Jet Printing" by Mathilde Buret, Marjorie Leveneur, Mélanie Mathon, Inventec Performance Chemicals.

The authors will receive their awards during a ceremony at SMTA International 2026.  The SMTA International Conference and Exhibition (SMTAI) 2026 will be held October 25 - 29, 2026 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, USA. Details are posted on the event website: https://www.smtai.org/conference-awards

Abstracts of all papers can be browsed directly in the online Knowledge Base. Featuring thousands of full-length technical articles, the SMTA Knowledge Base is searchable to all visitors, but free PDF downloads are available only to SMTA members. Non-members can easily join SMTA for real-time access to the Knowledge Base.

One of the benefits of the new system is the improved visibility in search engines as well as scholarly indexes. Authors are now directly connected to published work and can be searched with a single click. New filters are available to narrow down a search by a range of years or publication type. Citation options can now be displayed for an article in any modern format required.

While anyone can now create a profile to save searches and get notified when new content is published, still only active SMTA members can access downloadable papers and presentation files.

The new platform can be found online here: https://smta.kglmeridian.com/

If you have any questions, please contact Director of Training and Education, Tara Dunn at tara@smta.org.

The technical program features two exciting keynote presentations. On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Ashkan Seyedi, Director, Networking at NVIDIA will present “Pioneering System Integration for Tomorrow's AI Workloads.” On Wednesday, February 18, 2025, Ritesh Jain, Senior Vice President, Engineering & Operations at Lightmatter, will present, “3D Photonic Interposers: Lighting the Path Beyond Moore’s Law.” For more information, view the keynote presentation descriptions online.

Technical sessions include over 20 expert speakers who delve into Metrology and Characterization, Assembly and Test, Co-Packaged Optics, Flip Chip, Panel Level Packaging and Innovation in Substrates, and more. The program features presentations from leading organizations including National Institute of Standards and Technology, Nhanced Semiconductors, Purdue University, SkyWater Technology, USHIO, and more. View the technical program here.

The symposium concludes with two professional development courses on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The first course, “The Critical Role of PCB Strain Measurement in Ensuring Reliability of Advanced Wafer-Level Packages,” will be instructed by Takahiro James Hara, Kyowa Americas, Inc. Gamal Refai Ahmed, Ph.D., GAMA63, will instruct the second course, “Current and Future Challenges and Solutions in AI & HPC System Thermal Management.” Access to these courses is included in standard registration. For details about professional development courses, visit this page.

Registration for this event is open online here. All presentations, professional development courses and events open to attendees are included in registration.

For more information about the Wafer-Level Packaging Symposium, please contact Kristin Nafstad at kristin@smta.org or +1-952-920-7682.

The SMTA Awards Committee selected Tyler for his committed leadership in the SMTA. Tyler is currently enrolled in the dual master’s program in industrial engineering management at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He has been involved in promoting the mission and values of the SMTA in the academic community.

The $3000 JoAnn Stromberg Student Leadership Scholarship, given in honor of the nearly 30 years of service dedicated by former Executive Administrator, JoAnn Stromberg, was established following her retirement in 2015. The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage students to take on more leadership opportunities and strengthen the connection between students and the electronics industry.

The Stromberg Scholarship is awarded annually to a student pursuing a degree in electronics and actively involved in the SMTA. The scholarship is intended for the purchase of technical books and research materials, for participation in conferences related to electronics assembly and packaging, and for living expenses if necessary.

The award was presented at the 2025 SMTA International Conference, October 19-23, 2025 in Rosemont, IL, USA.

The nomination period will be available early next year for 2026 candidates. Consider making a donation to the scholarship by visiting https://www.smta.org/scholarship/.

Please contact Dan Atwood, scholarship@smta.org or +1-952-920-7682, with questions.

The program features ground-breaking research from experts on Reliability & Quality, Strategic Direction/Industry Roadmaps & Emerging Technologies, 3D Heterogeneous Integration & Nanotechnology, Cleaning/Cleanliness Testing & Humidity Control, Reliability & Advanced Fabrication, Thermal Solutions & AI Inspection, and more.

With participation from a dozen universities from around the globe, the Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium is the bridge between academic research and application in the electronics manufacturing industry. This year a dedicated session of research from Korean universities is the result of a partnership with the Korea Packaging Integration Association.

The final day of the event starts with a panel discussion on the topic of “AI in Action: Progress, Pitfalls, and the Future of Electronics” which will be recorded live as part of the Reliability Matters podcast.

View the complete program and register at: https://www.smta.org/panpac.  Sponsorships are available for companies wishing to gain exposure for their products and services. Please contact Karlie Severinson, karlie@smta.org or +1-952-920-7682, with questions.

The SMTA Grant Committee selected Abdelrahman’s project entitled "Advancing Physics-Informed Machine Learning in Surface Mount Technology." He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering.

The Charles Hutchins Educational Grant was established in memory of past SMTA president, educator, mentor, and industry colleague, Dr. Charles Hutchins. The $8000 grant has been presented annually since 1998 to a full-time, graduate-level student pursuing a degree and working on thesis research in electronics assembly, electronics packaging, or a related field.

The award was presented at the 2025 SMTA International Conference, October 19-23, 2025 in Rosemont, IL, USA.

The SMTA will begin accepting applications for the 2026 Charles Hutchins Educational Grant in early 2026. View details at the website: https://smta.org/page/hutchins-grant

This year, the recipients of the Next Gen 10 award are:

• Josh Archer, ZESTRON Corporation
• Kevin Brennan, Indium Corporation
• Jordan Carroll, Indium Corporation
• Hannah Cason-Ricouard, L3 Harris
• Maya Chiesa, Lockheed Martin
• Rocco Corbisiero, GE Aviation
• Louis Diamond, Honeywell FM&T
• Akhil Kumar, Intel Corporation
• Steven Mui, Fabrinet West
• Vishnu Reddy, Intel Corporation

Winners will be recognized and receive their awards during a ceremony on October 22, 2025 at SMTA International in Rosemont, IL, USA.

View details at the website: https://smta.org/page/nextgen10

The association's highest honor, the Founder's Award, recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the industry, as well as support and service to the SMTA. This year, the organization selected Dave Hillman to receive this prestigious award. A member since 2001, Dave's involvement in the SMTA goes back to the mid-1990s with regularly recurring roles as an author or presenter of over 80 papers or presentations at SMTA events, and a technical committee member for several conferences.

The Technical Distinction Award recognizes individuals who have made significant and continuing technical contributions to the association. This year the Awards Committee selected Keith Sweatman, Nihon Superior, as the recipient of this award. Since 2003, Keith has been an enthusiastic and active participant in SMTA events, contributing as a speaker, authoring over 50 technical papers, technical committee member, and a supporter of knowledge-sharing forums.

The Excellence in Leadership Award honors strong leaders who continue to support and elevate the association. This year the award goes to Jessica Molloy, Asteria Sales & Marketing. Jessica has been an officer in the Capital Chapter and served on various committees since joining SMTA as a member in 2018. Her efforts range from leading marketing campaigns to facilitating collaboration across industry regions and sectors. The SMTA thanks Jessica for her many valuable years of service.

The Excellence in International Leadership Award recognizes members who have provided outstanding support and leadership to the SMTA's international members, chapters, or educational programs. The recipient selected for this award is Eduardo Ortiz, USM Reps. Eduardo joined SMTA in 2006 and is one of the founding officers of the Mexico-Juarez Chapter since 2019. Through his leadership the chapter has made a massive impact connecting industry with academia to empower a stronger electronics manufacturing workforce in the region with hands on training and university programming.

Celestica received the SMTA+ Corporate Partnership Award this year. As a Corporate Gold member, Celestica has shown support at every level of the association from supporting global and chapter leadership positions to technical contributions for conferences and committees. They embody the SMTA mission by encouraging employees to become members, attend meetings, and share their knowledge. Celestica is most deserving of this honor.

SMTA has recognized exceptional individual and corporate members for their immeasurable contributions to the association since 1994.

View details at the website: https://smta.org/page/current-recipients

The technical program explores how artificial intelligence is transforming every stage of electronics manufacturing. From smarter design tools to AI-driven fabrication and automated assembly, this symposium connects the full lifecycle of a PCB, all in one place.

Contact Josh King, josh@smta.org or call +1-952-920-7682 with questions. For more information about the conference, visit https://smta.org/ai/.

Those remaining on the SMTA Global Board of Directors include: President, Greg Vance, Rockwell Automation; and Directors: Mumtaz Bora, pSemi; Priyanka Dobriyal, Ph.D., Lightmatter; Maurice Dore, Valeo; Jason Keeping, P.Eng., Celestica, Inc.; Adam Klett, Ph.D., KYZEN Corporation; Mike Konrad, Aqueous Technologies; Tom Rovere, Lockheed Martin; and Kirk Van Dreel, Plexus Corp.

The SMTA will bid a fond farewell to departing board members, Robert Boguski, Datest; Ravi Parthasarathy, M.S.Ch.E, ZESTRON Corporation, and Julie Silk, Keysight Technologies. As their time on the Board draws to a close, the SMTA expresses its sincerest gratitude for their continued service and dedication to the association and industry.

For more information on the election results, contact Executive Director Tanya Martin: tanya@smta.org or +1-952-920-7682.

The five-day conference includes the latest electronics manufacturing research and technology from major manufacturers such as Collins Aerospace, Rockwell Automation, IBM Corporation, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, Lockheed Martin, Meta, Nhanced Semiconductors, Nokia Bell Labs, Raytheon Technologies, Samsung, several global universities, and more.

95+ presentations are organized into the following technical tracks:

• Additively Manufactured Electronics (AME)
  • Breakthroughs in printed electronics, materials, and reliability
• Advanced Packaging (APT)
  • New developments in first-level packaging and assembly
• Low Temperature Solder (LTS)
  • Enabling reflow soldering at temperatures below 200°C
• Manufacturing for Excellence (MFX)
  • Process optimization, productivity, and real-world solutions
• Reliability and Harsh Environments (RHE)
  • Validated technologies that perform in rugged environments
• Test and Inspection (INS)
  • Advanced techniques to ensure product performance over time

Attendees can also choose from 10 Professional Development Courses for more in-depth training. Courses are spread throughout the conference on Sunday, October 19, Monday, October 20, and Thursday, October 23. Topics include advanced packaging and components, surface mount technology (SMT) best practices, low temperature and Pb-free soldering, cleaning and coating processes, flux chemistry, solder paste performance, and methods for testing, measurement, quality, and reliability. Courses will also explore emerging technologies, troubleshooting strategies, and design innovations shaping the future of electronics manufacturing.

The annual Women’s Leadership Program is planned for Monday, October 20. This complimentary program features DFX-driven presentations from women leaders in the electronics industry, DFX topic discussions and a connection reception.

On October 21-23, the SMTA International Exposition will showcase equipment and materials from electronics manufacturing technology solutions providers. Attendees to the expo will also have access to The ASSEMBLY Show, which is co-located at the convention center. More than 300 exhibiting companies and over 5000 attendees are expected to participate across the two shows combined, bringing together one of the largest audiences of assembly and electronics manufacturing professionals in the Midwest.

Registration to attend the conference and expo is now available online at:

https://www.smtai.org/register

For more information on SMTA International please contact Karlie Severinson: (smtai@smta.org) or +1-952-920-7682 or visit: https://www.smtai.org/

The technical program spans three days with sessions covering topics including Design for Cleanability, Process Verification, Cleaning Reliability, Coating Applications, Coating Properties, and Surface Preparation.

Each day of the conference starts with a professional development course led by an industry expert:

• Tuesday, August 12: “Cleaning and Cleanliness Qualification Masterclass”
• Wednesday, August 13: “The Effects of Flux Residues and Process Contamination on the Reliability of the Electronic Assembly”
• Thursday, August 14: “Fundamentals of Measuring Cleanliness”

Registration for this event is now open. Discounted rates are available when registering by July 12. Access to the three-day symposium and professional development courses are included in the conference package, details are available on the registration page.

Contact Josh King, josh@smta.org or call +1-952-920-7682 with questions. For more information about the conference, visit https://smta.org/cleaning/.

The technical program includes two semiconductor-focused keynote presentations. Other sessions will address trusted sources, technology, testing/accreditation, global perspectives, legal/policy issues, independent distributor concerns, and machine learning standards.

Matthew Hicks, Sr. Director of Foundries, Test & Advanced Packaging (FTAP) at Northrop Grumman, will provide the opening keynote presentation on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Hicks’ presentation is titled, “Microelectronics Powering America's Defense.”

Chuck Woychik, NHanced Semiconductors, will keynote the second day of the symposium with his presentation, “A Global View Versus a U.S. Focus on Outsourced Assembly and Test (OAST) Facilities to Support Wafer-Level Packaging.”

The symposium concludes on Thursday, June 26, with three professional development courses. A full-day course titled “Counterfeit Parts Detection Using SAE AS6171”, is instructed by Michael Azarian, Ph.D., CALCE, University of Maryland. Peter Sandborn, Ph.D., instructs a concurrent half-day course in the morning titled, “Electronic Part Obsolescence Forecasting, Mitigation and Management.” Diganta Das, Ph.D., CALCE, University of Maryland, will instruct the afternoon course titled, “Use of Component Documentation and Supply Chain for Counterfeit Avoidance.

Registration for this event is now open. Discounted rates are available when registering by Friday, May 23. Access to the two-day symposium and professional development courses are included in the standard conference package, details are available on the registration page.

For logistics questions, contact Kristin Nafstad, kristin@smta.org or call +1-952-920-7682. For questions about the program or presentations, contact Diganta Das, diganta@umd.edu or call 301-467-3040. For more information about the symposium, visit https://smta.org/counterfeit/.

The course addresses the behaviors, expectations, and mindset that define a polished, reliable professional. Learners will study the basics of professional behavior at work, learn the fundamentals of professional communication, and gain an understanding of how to build professionalism into every aspect of your job. By taking this course, learners can continuously build their skill set, boost their confidence, and stay ahead in today's evolving workplaces. As with other online training provided by SMTA, the course offers a flexible, self-paced format; a necessity for busy professionals and demanding production schedules. Details about the course can be found directly through the listing here: https://smta.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=25680909

This is the first of several courses planned as part of a new program called “Core Advantage: Foundational Skills for Professional Success.” The program is designed to equip today’s electronic manufacturing workforce with essential skills for lasting career success. Each course is intended to build a strong foundation in core competencies needed for a successful career in electronics manufacturing.

Additional courses will be released monthly through the Core Advantage Learning Program including:

• Communication Fundamentals - Learn the essentials of clear, effective verbal and written communication for any business environment.

• Problem Solving Fundamentals - Develop a structured approach to identifying challenges, analyzing options, and implementing smart solutions.

• Getting Started with Project Management - Build foundational project management knowledge to better plan, execute, and deliver on initiatives.

• Effective Workplace Leadership - Explore what it takes to lead with confidence, motivate teams, and drive organizational success.

Learn more about the online training program here: https://smta.org/training

If you have any questions, please contact Director of Training and Education, Tara Dunn at tara@smta.org.

To learn more about the SMTA-supported Electronics Manufacturing Assembly Collaborative (EMAC), click here.

The following three papers were selected for the “Best of Proceedings” award:

"A Comparison of Thermal Cycling and Thermal Shock for Evaluating Solder Joint Reliability." Richard Coyle, Ph.D., Nokia Bell Labs, accepts the award on behalf of the Collaborative iNEMI and HDP Consortia Teams.

"Potted Assembly Interfacial Reliability and Predictive Models Under Inclined 25000g Mechanical Shock" by Pradeep Lall, Ph.D., Aathi Pandurangan, Padmanava Choudhury, Auburn University; Ken Blecker, US Army CCDC-AC.

"A New Efficient Thermomechanical Reliability Model for Lead-Free Solder Joints" by Jean-Baptiste Libot, Ph.D., Philippe Milesi, Hooke Electronics.

The following three papers received honorable mention in this category:

"Panel Level Package (PLP) – Scaling up Fan-Out Packaging" by Burton Carpenter, Mollie Flick, Kuan Hsiang Mao, Cliff Kuo, Vanessa Tan, Anita Chou, Dominic Koey, NXP Semiconductors.

"Thermal Shock Testing of High-Reliability Mixed BGA Solder Joints" by Jayse McLean, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group.

"Thermal Cycling Hybrid, Homogeneous, and Resin Reinforced Low Temperature Solder Ball Grid Array Interconnects at a High Homologous Temperature." Richard Coyle, Ph.D., Nokia Bell Labs, accepts the award on behalf of the iNEMI Low Temperature Solder Process and Reliability (LTSPR) Project Team.

The following paper was selected for the “Best Practical and Applications-Based Knowledge” award:

"Additive Manufactured Electronics for Next Generation Microelectronics" by Sam LeBlanc, Lance Sookdeo, Bryce Gray, Casey Perkowski, Paul Deffenbaugh, Ph.D., Kenneth Church, Ph.D., Sciperio, Inc.; Eduardo Rojas, Ph.D., Embry Riddle Aeronautics University; Joseph S. Riendeau, Ph.D., NASA JPL.

The following two papers received honorable mention in this category:

"Sensors and Process-Performance Interactions for Additive In-Mold Electronics in Automotive Applications" by Pradeep Lall, Ph.D., Hyesoo Jang, Ved Soni, Fatahi Musa, Md Golam Sarwar, Auburn University; Scott Miller, NextFlex National Manufacturing Institute.

"Thermocouple Tactics: A Comparative Study of Attachment Methods" by Miles Moreau, KIC; Martin Anselm, Ph.D., Alex Brunhuber, Rochester Institute of Technology; Chrys Shea, Shea Engineering; David Dworak, Dymax.

The authors will receive their awards during a ceremony at SMTA International 2025.  The SMTA International Conference and Exhibition (SMTAI) 2025 will be held October 19 - 23, 2025 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, USA. Details on participating in the 2025 SMTA International Conference are posted on the event website:

https://www.smtai.org/call-for-abstracts

Abstracts of all papers can be browsed directly in the online Knowledge Base. Featuring thousands of full-length technical articles, the SMTA Knowledge Base is searchable to all visitors, but free PDF downloads are available only to SMTA members. Non-members can easily join SMTA for real-time access to the Knowledge Base.