Hosted by Oregon Tech
OMIC R&D serves as the applied research and industry engagement engine of Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech), Oregon’s public polytechnic university. Hosted as an integral part of Oregon Tech, OMIC R&D bridges academic expertise, hands-on workforce development, and the real-world needs of industry and government.
Through this structure, OMIC R&D advances Oregon’s Center of Innovation Excellence (CIE) priorities by aligning applied research, student engagement, and industry collaboration into a unified innovation pipeline, bringing together faculty insight, student talent, and partner-driven challenges to accelerate technology development and strengthen Oregon’s manufacturing capacity.
About Oregon Tech
Oregon Tech offers innovative, professionally focused undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering, health, business, technology, and applied arts and sciences. Through a hands-on, project-based learning environment, the university emphasizes innovation, scholarship, and applied research, preparing highly skilled graduates while supporting economic development and technological advancement throughout the state.
How OMIC R&D Fits Within Oregon Tech
OMIC R&D is the applied research and development arm of Oregon Tech. Operating as an integral part of the university, it leads industry-driven research, accelerates technology validation, and translates innovation into real-world manufacturing impact.
Unlike a traditional academic department, OMIC R&D’s primary focus is applied research, or projects defined by technical challenges, measurable outcomes, and industry timelines. This structure allows Oregon Tech to engage directly in advanced manufacturing research at a pace and scale aligned with industry and government partners.
Within this framework, OMIC R&D conducts applied research aligned with advanced manufacturing priorities and CIE focus areas, integrates Oregon Tech students into active R&D projects, enables faculty to engage in sponsored research and industry collaboration, provides shared access to advanced equipment and technical infrastructure, and supports statewide innovation initiatives that expand Oregon’s manufacturing competitiveness.
University Leadership
Dr. Nagi G. Naganathan
President of the Oregon Institute of Technology
Dr. Nagi Naganathan was chosen to serve as the seventh president of the Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) effective April 2017. Prior to joining Oregon Tech, he served for 31 years at The University of Toledo in Ohio in a variety of academic and leadership roles, including as a faculty member of Mechanical Engineering, department chair, dean of the College of Engineering, and interim president.
Dr. Abdy Afjeh
Senior Vice Provost for Research & Academic Affairs
Dr. Abdollah Afjeh leads applied research and industry engagement at Oregon Tech, drawing on over 40 years of experience from the University of Toledo. A Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, his expertise centers on computational fluid dynamics, propulsion systems, and wind turbine design.
Dr. Neslihan Alp
Dean, College of Engineering, Technology, and Management
Dr. Neslihan Alp oversees academic growth and accreditation at Oregon Tech, having previously held senior leadership roles at Pennsylvania College of Technology and Indiana State. She is a licensed Professional Engineer and ABET evaluator who has secured over $50 million in grants to develop high-growth programs in Mechatronics and Data Science.
Research & Student Engagement
Hosted by Oregon Tech, OMIC R&D operates as a structured applied workforce development hub for advanced manufacturing in Oregon. Students do not simply observe research — they contribute to it. Across multiple programs, participants engage directly in applied R&D projects, gaining hands-on experience with advanced manufacturing systems while collaborating with faculty, industry engineers, and research staff.
DeArmond Fellowship Program
The DeArmond Fellowship is a four-year, full-ride scholarship program for mechanical engineering students at Oregon Tech. Fellows complete their academic coursework during the traditional school year and spend each summer quarter embedded at OMIC R&D, working on active manufacturing research projects aligned with industry needs.
Fellows engage directly with OMIC researchers and visiting industry partners, contributing to real-world technical challenges in materials, process development, and advanced manufacturing systems. This model creates a continuous, multi-year pipeline of engineering talent trained within an applied R&D environment — strengthening Oregon’s manufacturing workforce while advancing Center of Innovation Excellence priorities.
Oregon State University Practicum Internship
The OSU Practicum Internship is a structured summer program that blends academic coursework with applied research experience at OMIC R&D. Students begin with coursework at the Portland Community College OMIC Training Center, then transition to the OMIC R&D campus for advanced instruction and academic research projects using OMIC’s manufacturing equipment and technical infrastructure.
This practicum model intentionally bridges classroom learning and hands-on R&D application, exposing students to industry-relevant technologies while strengthening analytical and problem-solving skills within a live research environment.
PCC OMIC Training Center Pathway
Students enrolled at the PCC OMIC Training Center have the opportunity to extend their technical training into a live R&D environment at OMIC R&D. This pathway provides hands-on time with advanced manufacturing equipment and exposure to applied research projects beyond traditional coursework — strengthening student readiness for careers in Oregon’s manufacturing sector.