UNT launched the Center for Microelectronics in Extreme Environments (CMEE), which will advance the development of next-generation semiconductors, supporting regional and state efforts to grow the industry and train the future semiconductor workforce. The center brings together expertise from more than a dozen faculty members in materials science, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. The center's main research emphasis will be on creating semiconductors that are needed for high-power electronic devices for commercial use, but also for more specialized applications needed by government agencies. "In use, they need to function in pretty much every environment you could think of," CMEE director Nigel Shepherd says. "The knowledge from our research will lead to devices that can better withstand extreme operating conditions."