Austin, TX

How UT and Austin Community College are helping tackle semiconductor workforce needs

Published

2 years ago

April 18, 2024

How UT and Austin Community College are helping tackle semiconductor workforce needs

When U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo came to Austin Community College on Monday, she recognized a student at the school.

“She shakes my hand and she’s like, ‘Wait, do I remember you?’” said Eriverto Adame, a student at ACC who wants to work as an engineer.

On Raimondo’s visit to the campus Monday, she was meeting with ACC and University of Texas students aspiring to work in the semiconductor industry to ask them how she could help, Adame said. This was Raimondo’s second visit to ACC in a little over a year to learn about the college’s growing semiconductor workforce programs.

More: Why Samsung semiconductor plant in Taylor is receiving $6.4 billion from federal CHIPS Act

“We have the best people in the background right now who are putting all their effort and even more to expand this group,” Adame said.

After a governmental push to bolster the industry, ACC and the University of Texas announced in late March that they are developing a joint semiconductor training center and semiconductor curriculum and credentialing to create more education pathways to help fill jobs in the growing field.

Before stopping at ACC on Monday, Raimondo was in Taylor with other officials to announce a deal between the Biden administration and semiconductor production giant Samsung that would give $6.4 billion to the corporation’s still-under-construction manufacturing facility northeast of Austin.

Semiconductors enable modern technology in everything from a calculator to gaming systems, said Laura Marmolejo, associate dean of advanced manufacturing at ACC.

By 2030, the nation’s semiconductor workforce is projected to grow by 115,000 jobs, according to a July 2023 study by economic research consulting group Oxford Economics. It estimated that 58% of new jobs won’t be filled if degree completion rates stay the same — including technicians, computer scientists and engineers.

National security and the hardware behind artificial intelligence both rely on semiconductors, making it a national priority to address rising work needs internally instead of outsourcing jobs, said S.V. Sreenivasan, a professor in UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering.

“This is not only a fast-growing industry (that) creates well-paying jobs, but it’s strategically important for our commerce and our national security,” Sreenivasan said. “We either will lead or will follow, and you know what is the obvious thing to do.”

Sreenivasan led a task force at UT created in 2021 to bolster Austin’s semiconductor manufacturing as U.S. lawmakers from Texas were working on the CHIPS and Science Act, a bill President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022 that set aside $280 billion to address the shortage of microchips, an essential part of the manufacturing process.

After Texas passed its own CHIPS Act in 2023 to support and encourage companies and universities to invest in semiconductor innovation, Sreenivasan also served on the governor’s Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium.

“I’ve never seen this kind of collaboration to emphasize workforce,” Sreenivasan said. “We know the numbers that are needed and I think the plans are getting in place to go execute (and) make it happen.”

Marmolejo said ACC has been supporting the industry for 10 years. But with UT’s partnership, it’ll be able to expand hands-on opportunities for students in process training that used to be cost-prohibitive for ACC to provide alone.

Alyssa Reinhart, workforce development director at the Texas Institute for Electronics at UT, said the semiconductor training center, which could launch as early as January 2025, will have a physical space. Students will also take advantage of resources like the chip facility at UT’s J.J. Pickle Research Campus and a semiconductor plant on Montopolis Drive, which is currently under renovation.

The Texas Institute for Electronics, a public-private partnership created at UT which received $522 million in funding from the state, will provide $3.75 million to develop the new semiconductor training center, according to UT’s news release about the partnership.

Reinhart said the new joint UT-ACC program will work with industry partners to address the broad spectrum of jobs in the industry.

“We’re trying to align to the hiring cycles and with what company needs are,” Reinhart said.

In addition to the joint announcement, UT is also planning to launch a master’s degree in engineering with a major in semiconductor science and engineering. Reinhart said UT is also working on developing a minor.

Both higher education institutions are working to increase awareness of the forthcoming opportunities. Sreenivasan said UTeach, a program that prepares STEM-interested undergraduates to be teachers, has added semiconductors to the program. Reinhart said she is also working on involving K-12 education partners.

“People say we don’t have enough people to train for this industry,” Marmolejo said. “There are people, we just have to find a way to engage them with the educational systems with the jobs.”

Adame, who first enrolled at ACC in 2018 to pursue an associate’s degree, is now back at the college to pursue a bachelor’s degree. He got involved in semiconductor workforce training through a Samsung program that put him on a path to the associate’s degree at ACC after he graduated high school.

He said ACC’s and UT’s investment in semiconductor training is helping him “tremendously.” Pursuing this career path, he said, has opened his curiosity and potential.

“It’s changed my life drastically, not only a career change, but also a mental change,” Adame said. “Being in the semiconductor field … there’s just endless possibilities of learning.”

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Austin, TX

Austin FC bows out of MLS playoffs after 4-1 loss to LAFC

Published

18 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Press Room

Austin FC bows out of MLS playoffs after 4-1 loss to LAFC

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a match with a combined 27 fouls and eight yellow cards, visiting LAFC overwhelmed Austin FC 4-1 on Sunday at Q2 Stadium, advancing to the Western Conference semifinals of the MLS playoffs.

With the victory, LAFC claimed the best-of-3 first-round series 2-0 following their 2-1 win Oct. 29 in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min (7) celebrates a win against over Austin FC during Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Actor Matthew McConaughey, foreground, acknowledges the fans as he walks a sideline before Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs between Los Angeles FC and Austin FC, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Celebrations take place before Los Angeles FC and Austin FC compete in Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Austin FC midfielder Owen Wolff (33) battles for possession over Los Angeles FC defender Ryan Porteous (5) during the first half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Austin FC midfielder Myrto Uzuni (10) reacts after missing a penally kick against Los Angeles FC during the first half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Austin FC defender Brendan Hines-Ike (4) celebrates after midfielder Daniel Pereira (8) scored a penalty kick against Los Angeles FC during first half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Los Angeles FC forward Jeremy Ebobisse (17) celebrates a goal against Austin FC with defender Sergi Palencia (14) and forward Son Heung-Min (7) during the second half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Los Angeles FC forward Jeremy Ebobisse (17) scores a goal against Austin FC during the second half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Los Angeles FC forward Jeremy Ebobisse (17) celebrates a goal against Austin FC during the second half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Andy Moran (19) and Austin FC defender Žan Kolmanič (23) battle for the ball during the second half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min (7) looks to take control of the ball against Austin FC during the second half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga (99) drives between Austin FC defender Julio Cascante (18), defender Brendan Hines-Ike (4) and defender Guilherme Biro (29) during the second half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Austin FC midfielder Daniel Pereira scores a penalty kick against Los Angeles FC during first half of Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Q2 Stadium is viewed before Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)

By the time Austin FC’s Dani Pereira converted a penalty kick in the waning moment of first-half stoppage time, LAFC went into the locker room up 3-1 and in full control of the match.

Son Heung-min, the former Tottenham Hotspur captain who joined LAFC in August, opened the scoring in the 21st minute by beating Ilie Sanchez with a nasty stepover, and then he fired a shot past Brad Stuver from just outside the 6-yard box.

MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters

Denis Bouanga bagged a pair of goals in the first half to build LAFC’s insurmountable advantage. His first came four minutes after Son’s opening marker and was his 100th goal across all competitions with the club. His second goal added salt to the wound for Austin to make it 3-0 in the 44th minute. It came after LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris stopped a Myrto Uzuni penalty kick attempt in the 39th minute.

LAFC’s Jeremy Ebobisse entered the match for Son in the 88th minute and, in five minutes, added another tally. He fired a left-footed shot past Stuver’s sliding boot to put an exclamation point on the final match of the season in Austin.

LAFC outshot Austin 17-7, including 5-4 on target, and Austin was whistled for offside three times.

It was the first time since 2022 that Austin made the MLS playoffs. They entered the postseason as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.

Coupled with its playoff appearance and runner-up finish in the U.S. Open Cup, Austin took a step in the right direction under first-year head coach Nico Estevez.

LAFC will face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the conference semifinals.

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Austin, TX

Austin Highlights: Nov 3 To 6 – Food, Music, Arts & More

Published

2 days ago

November 2, 2025

Press Room

Austin Highlights: Nov 3 To 6 – Food, Music, Arts & More

Last Updated On – 2nd November, 2025

Jump to: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

The best free and fun events in Austin, November 3 – 6, include Maroon 5 in concert, Oltrf Block Party, and more!

Austin turns up the energy long before the weekend hits, and our Austin picks Nov 3 to 6 2025 round up the can’t-miss events keeping the city buzzing all week. Explore what’s happening this week and keep your weekdays packed with Austin’s signature spirit and creativity.

Editor’s Note: Our staff works hard to bring you the latest information. However, all information mentioned in this article is subject to change. As always, please confirm before heading out.

Free and Fun Events in Austin this Monday, November 3, 2025

Jesse McCartney in concert

Get to see Jesse McCartney live and hear the latest music from his 2024 EP, All’s Well, and enjoy a thrilling show!

Where: Austin City Limits Live (ACL Live & 3TEN ACL Live), 310 W Willie Nelson Blvd, Austin, TX 78701
When: Monday, November 3, 2025 | 8 pm
How Much: Not stated

Waterloo Wellness: Yoga & Sound

Austin picks Nov 3 to 6 2025 - Waterloo Wellness

Image Credit: Waterloo Greenway FB Page

Start each week with feel-good vibes at Waterloo Wellness: Yoga & Sound. Experience mindful movement in a class that features a different style of yoga each time, perfectly accompanied by live music and healing sound therapy.

All ages and abilities are warmly welcome to join this unique and restorative event!

Where: Moody Amphitheater, Waterloo Park, 500 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78701
When: Monday, November 3, 2025 | 6 pm – 7 pm
How Much: Free

Free and Fun Events in Austin this Tuesday, November 4, 2025

World Ballet Company presents Cinderella

Image credit: World Ballet Company

Step into the magical world of Cinderella, live on stage, for one of the most enchanting Austin picks Nov 3 to 6 2025!

The World Ballet Company brings this beloved fairy tale to life in a spectacular Broadway-style production that delights all ages, flawlessly blending humor, romance, and the timeless majesty of classical ballet.

This dazzling show features a cast of 40 international dancers, over 150 radiant hand-sewn costumes, exquisite hand-crafted sets, and captivating choreography by Marina Kesler.

Every moment is filled with charm and wonder, from the mischievous evil stepsisters to the breathtaking ballroom scenes, promising you an unforgettable journey of magic, beauty, and “happily ever after.” Just remember what happens when the clock strikes midnight!

Where: Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78712
When: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 | 7 pm
How Much: Starts at $46.80

Maroon 5 in concert

Pop-rock band Maroon 5 is coming to Austin to perform in support of their brand new album, Love is Like. Get ready for a high-energy show as the band plays hits from their new release and their beloved catalog.

Where: Moody Center, 2001 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 78712
When: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 | 8 pm
How Much: Starts at $64

Free and Fun Events in Austin this Wednesday, November 5, 2025

The 50th Annual Garage & Estate Sale Preview Party

Image Credit: The Settlement Home for Children Foster and Adoption Program FB Page

Get ready for an incredible shopping opportunity at the 50th Annual Garage & Estate Sale! The Settlement Home for Children’s massive annual sale gives you the chance to purchase thousands of items at bargain prices.

You’ll find a massive selection ranging from jewelry, tools, and vintage collectibles to children’s clothing. The festivities will begin with a special preview party on November 5th, before the public days run from November 7th through 9th.

Where: Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
When: Wednesday, November 5 – 9, 2025 | 7 pm
How Much: Free to $25

Oltorf Block Party

Loro is hosting its first-ever Oltorf Block Party, a community-driven, market-style event to celebrate the launch of their new collaboration hat with Mañana Austin’s surf gear and apparel brand.

You can expect a night of good food, great vibes, and awesome giveaways! The party will also feature some of the city’s favorite local brands, one-night-only menu collaborations, exclusive giveaways, and live music.

Where: Loro Asian Smokehouse and Bar, 2115 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
When: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 | 6 pm – 8 pm
How Much: $38

Texas Theatre and Dance presents Cabaret

Step into the vibrant and tumultuous world of 1930s Berlin with Texas Theatre and Dance’s presentation of Cabaret.

Watch as a young American writer arrives in the city and immediately falls for the English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, the boarding house owner, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered Jewish fruit seller.

The iconic production features unforgettable musical numbers like “Willkommen,” “Cabaret,” “Don’t Tell Mama,” and “Two Ladies.”

Where: B. Iden Payne Theatre, 300 E 23rd St, Austin, TX 78712
When: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 | 7:30 pm
How Much: Starts at $10

Free and Fun Events in Austin this Thursday, November 6, 2025

Out of Bounds Comedy Festival

Image Credit: Out of Bounds Comedy Festival FB Page

Get ready to laugh non-stop at the beloved, Austin-grown Out of Bounds Comedy Festival (OOB), one of the best Austin picks Nov 3 to 6 2025!

After a six-year hiatus, the festival is back, featuring a packed schedule of hilarity. You can look forward to seeing incredible performances by talented local Austin acts and troupes from around the country.

Plus, the festival will also bring in special guest Dropout.TV all-stars including Ify Nwadiwe, Kimia Behpoornia, and Ross Bryant!

Where: Various locations in Austin
When: Thursday, November 6 – 9, 2025
How Much: Varies

Austin Polish Film Festival

You are invited to the Austin Polish Film Festival (APFF)! Over the years, this event has contributed to the vibrant Austin film scene by screening over 400 films and hosting numerous filmmakers.

This year’s festival will present a diverse and carefully selected lineup from among the latest award-winning features, documentaries, and animations. This unique platform gives Polish filmmakers a fantastic opportunity to share their work with a diverse audience.

Where: AFS Cinema, 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX 78752
When: Thursday, November 6 – 9, 2025
How Much: Free – $120

Much Ado About Nothing

After years of war, you can step into an idyllic Italian town that is finally back in bloom for this performance.

Watch as the young lovers Claudio and Hero, along with the sparring singletons Beatrice and Benedick, discover that all is not as it seems in their beautiful surroundings. This classic comedy entangles them all in a series of mischievous games, pranks, and cunning plots.

Where: Mary Moody Northen Theatre, 3001 S Congress Ave Building THAR, Austin, TX 78704
When: Thursday, November 6 – 16, 2025
How Much: $15 – $28

Don’t let the weekdays have all the fun. Discover more Austin weekend events, food festivals, and free happenings here.

Lacey is a freelancer and Austin local who’s always on the hunt for new restaurants to try, fun activities to do, and local events to attend. She loves sharing her discoveries with others through her writing and hopes her work encourages both visitors and locals to be active in the community. When she’s not writing, you can find her exploring one of the city’s many hiking trails with her Blue Heeler, Oreo, getting lost in a good book, or dancing the night away to some house or techno beats at one of her favorite rave spots.

Austin, TX

Inaugural TX Honky Tonk Fest pays ode to two-stepping resurgence

Published

3 days ago

October 31, 2025

Press Room

Inaugural TX Honky Tonk Fest pays ode to two-stepping resurgence

Honky tonks are dance halls common in Texas, where men and women come to dance, drink, and socialize. They dance the two step on a large wooden dance floor to country and Western music, sometimes played by a band.

Neville Elder/Corbis via Getty Images

As the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin is home to a whole host of venues, musicians and music lovers who flood bars and dance halls each night of the week to seek community and reprieve. Among them are the mix of newer and legendary honky-tonk venues that have ushered in seasoned dancers and newcomers to the craft of a little thing Texans like to call the two-step.

It’s a legacy that has seen revitalization and resurgence in recent years, both within Austin and beyond the Lone Star State. As country music reaches new heights of popularity and is capitalized all the more by cross-genre music icons like Houston’s Beyoncé, with it comes a renewed appetite for all things honky-tonk — and that’s something Austinites are looking to commemorate at Austin Monthly’s Honky Tonk Fest.

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Austin Monthly announced the creation of the festival in early September, noting it as “a love letter to the culture that has taken over nightlife in Austin and beyond.” Seasoned two-steppers and newer fans of the honky-tonk scene will gather at Jester King Brewery on Saturday, November 8, where the festival will spotlight nine artists across two different stages as well as feature two-stepping lessons, art, fashion, food vendors and other amenities.

For Bryan C. Parker, executive editor at Austin Monthly and the festival’s creator, he said he was inspired by the influx of newer honky-tonk venues and dance halls in recent years — like White Horse and Sagebrush — as well as offering an ode to legacy institutions like Sam’s Town Point and The Little Longhorn Saloon. At the heart of those venues, and honky-tonk culture at large, he said, is a communal spirit. But, he added, it wasn’t until he did a cover story on honky-tonk culture for Austin Monthly earlier this year that he really found himself inundated within, and mentally fixated on, the enduring legacy of that culture.

The band Mrs. Glass from Austin, Texas perform at the White Horse during 2012 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival on March 16, 2012 in Austin, Texas.

Michael Buckner/Getty Images

“I’ve lived in Austin for 24 years, but after I did that deep dive to report that story, I just couldn’t stop thinking about [Austin’s honky-tonk community],” he told MySA. “I found myself going out more — dancing and hanging out — and the bands are so good, and that fascination and love has kind of lingered, and I wanted to do something to celebrate that. So that’s how Honky Tonk Fest was born.”

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Within that communal scene is a cross-generational and cross-cultural reach, where 20-somethings who might be newer to the dance form link hands and partner with seasoned dancers decades older than them. That sense of welcoming is something he said has helped broadened the reach of honky-tonk venues and two-stepping.

“I feel like Austin is a place that embraces all kinds of people, and that is true of these honky-tonks as well,” Parker said. “You’ll see people that look like hipsters at the club, but you’ll see people that look like cowboys at the club — you know, tried and true cowboys. It’s truly a place where everyone feels welcome.”

Debra Watson dances with Shaan Shirazi to the music of James Intveld at the Little Longhorn Saloon on Sunday February 19, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Sunday at the bar features bingo centering on chicken droppings.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Im

Part of that welcoming effort is reflected in Honky Tonk Fest’s music line up, which features Austin’s Aaron McDonnell & the Neon Eagles and Chaparelle, join the likes of Nashville’s Emily Nenni and New York’s Honky Tonkin’ in Queens. That eclectic mix of artists across the country is indicative of the cultural currency Texas’ music and dance scene has had nationally, with Parker referring to the Lone Star State as a “cultural taste maker.”

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And, if you happen to be a honky-tonk newcomer coming out on November 8? Parker’s biggest encouragement is that while this festival is a one-day event, you can find quality live music, dance lessons and communities in venues across Austin year-round.

“When you come to Austin, I think you find something that feels like it’s grassroots: It’s ground up, and it’s really driven by the people who are here and working here, and especially live music,” he said. “We love DJ sets and having fun, and obviously we’re bringing DJs in for the festival. But in Austin, everything comes back to and is driven by live music. And the amount of talent we have in our live music every night of the week is pretty astonishing.”

Austin Monthly’s Honky Tonk Fest runs on Saturday, November 8, from 1 to 11 p.m. at Jester King Brewery,

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Find it: 13187 Fitzhugh Road, Austin, TX 78736

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