SCAPPOOSE, OR — July 2026 — The Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center, Research & Development (OMIC R&D) has welcomed 19 students to its Scappoose campus for a hands-on internship experience designed to give the next generation of Oregon’s manufacturing workforce real-world exposure to advanced research and production equipment.
The cohort spans four programs and several partner institutions. The largest group, seven OSU Practicum students, will spend nine of their twelve weeks completing pre-trades Manufacturing Certificate coursework at Portland Community College before bringing that training back to the floor at OMIC R&D. Five Oregon Tech students will job-shadow the center’s engineers and researchers across its operations, while two returning OSU Advanced Practicum students will spend the majority of their term working hands-on at the facility. Rounding out the group, five research interns will work directly under Dr. Mostafa Saber in support of active research grants.
The cohort reflects OMIC R&D’s roots in the communities it serves. The interns come from across Oregon and beyond, with many hailing from rural and small-town communities, from Dufur and Gervais to Lincoln City on the coast alongside students from the Willamette Valley, the Portland metro area, and out of state in Washington and California. Four members of the cohort come directly from Scappoose, home to OMIC R&D’s facility, underscoring the center’s role as a career pathway for students in its own community.
Throughout the program, students gain direct experience with both additive and subtractive manufacturing equipment, as well as access to a materials science lab unlike anything available in a traditional academic setting. The breadth of equipment and the chance to contribute to funded research give students a level of practical exposure that classroom instruction alone cannot provide.
Workforce development of this kind is central to OMIC R&D’s charter, which calls for educating and preparing the next generation of researchers and skilled professionals in advanced manufacturing.
“Educating the next generation of manufacturing researchers and skilled professionals isn’t a side project for us, it’s written into our mission,” said Don Hendrickson, Executive Director of OMIC R&D. “Every student who spends time on our floor leaves with experience they simply can’t get in a classroom. That’s how we strengthen Oregon’s manufacturing workforce for the long term.”
“These students get their hands on additive and subtractive systems and a materials science lab you won’t find on a university campus,” said Urmaze Naterwalla, Director of Research Operations at OMIC R&D. “Whether they’re shadowing our engineers or contributing directly to funded research, they’re solving real problems alongside the people who do this work every day.”
The 2026 cohort reflects OMIC R&D’s continued partnerships with Oregon State University, Oregon Institute of Technology, and Portland Community College to connect students with industry-grade tools, techniques, and mentorship.