Nordson ASYMTEK's Steven Adamson Honored with IMAPS President's Award

 

Steven Adamson

Nordson ASYMTEK, a leader in dispensing, coating and  jetting technologies, announces that Steven J. Adamson, Nordson ASYMTEK marketing specialist, was honored with IMAPS' 2010 President's Award for dedicated efforts in ensuring a successful reorganization of the IMAPS Microelectronics Foundation and increasing its financial resources. IMAPS (International Microelectronics and Packaging Society) is the largest society dedicated to the advancement and growth of microelectronics and electronics packaging.

Adamson has been an active member of IMAPS for many years.  He was chairman of the San Diego IMAPS chapter for two years and general chairman of the 2006 IMAPS International Symposium on Microelectronics.  He served as IMAPS president in 2008. In 2009 Adamson volunteered to be chairman of the IMAPS Microelectronic Foundation.  This organization is devoted to helping students and academia participate in IMAPS activities through grants and awards.  To achieve this goal the Microelectronics Foundation, under the leadership of Adamson, organized and ran numerous fund-raising activities.

"Steve has a passion for the Society, for the success of the Society, and for the proliferation of the Society (IMAPS)," said Howard Imhof, Advanced Coatings Division manager for Metalor Technologies USA and 2010 IMAPS president. "Following a recently completed 3-year sequential term as president elect, president, and 1st past president - each with separate, but significant, responsibilities to a 4000+ international membership - Steve volunteered to chair the IMAPS Educational Foundation in 2010 which raises and distributes funds for University/College students to pursue microelectronic packaging & interconnect education and careers (Steve is also a valued member of the Global Business Council Steering Committee).  Steve's passion, leadership, and body of work for the society sets a peerless standard that I felt needed to be recognized during my term with the 'President's Award' - well deserved Steve, well done!"

"It is an honor and a surprise to receive this award," commented Adamson, "especially because I initiated the President's Award when I was IMAPS president.  I am pleased to continue working for the IMAPS Foundation.  It is a vital part of IMAPS as it gives students financial aid to attend industry seminars and events, meet and share ideas with others in the industry, and introduces them to IMAPS and the technical resources IMAPS can provide to them.  It is an investment in the future of the microelectronics packaging industry.  We will continue to look at ways to bring in funds for the Foundation, through golf tournaments, casino nights, and company-sponsored technical paper contests."

Adamson has over thirty years experience in microelectronics assembly.  An employee of Nordson ASYMTEK since 1998, he's held positions as applications engineering manager, and marketing specialist.  He has worked in all aspects of packaging and assembly from R&D to manufacturing, designing multichip modules, hybrid circuits, printed circuit boards, thermal printed heads, and magneto-resistive head assemblies.  He has delivered technical papers on wire bond encapsulation, chip scale packaging/flip chip assembly, printed circuit board design rules, and reliability and has had papers published in leading industry trade journals both domestically and internationally.  He is co-author with Charles Harper on a book titled, "Handbook of Plastic Processes," published by McGraw-Hill.

Adamson previously held positions with Kodak, Motorola in the U.S., and Plessey, International Computers Ltd in the U.K. He has been awarded five US and two UK patents.  In 2005 he was presented with an award by the San Diego Engineering Council for "Outstanding Service to Electrical Engineering".  Originally from the U.K., he holds a Higher National Certificate in Electrical Engineering from Stockport College of Technology and for several years was the lead instructor and advisor to the University of California San Diego (UCSD) extension course on Microelectronic and Optical Packaging. 


Celebrating the Life of Mr. Jim Welterlen

WELTERLEN, JAMES DEAN The Word Was Serendipity James Dean Welterlen was born on October 10, 1929, to Arthur Leonard and Esther Augusta Welterlen in Edgewood, Iowa. His birth preceded the stock market crash by two weeks and the beginning of the great depression. Despite that, he had an uneventful childhood in this small Middle Western town. He loved swimming, camping, and boating and became an Eagle Scout at age fourteen. A "Lefty" he excelled in basketball, baseball, music and academic pursuits in school. As he left his beginnings for college at Iowa State College (now University), serendipity (happy accidents) became the hallmark of his life. First, he was cast opposite the love of his life and wife of 59 years, Patricia Eileen Forsyth, in a college production of William Saroyan's "Time of Your Life." Then, because the field of Mechanical Engineering was expected to be overcrowded, he enrolled in the little known and un-crowded field of Ceramic Engineering, a profession to which he would devote his professional career. Then, as a Lieutenant in The U.S. Air Force, he was unexpectedly afforded training as a communications and electronics Officer which would stand him in good stead in the field of Technical and Electronic Ceramics. He was instrumental in developing the first production of Ceramic Radomes for guided missiles, the first Ceramic printed circuit substrate, the first ceramic personnel body armor, the first mass-production of multi-chip hybrid substrates, the first digital electronic watch interconnects, and the technology for the most advanced main frame computers of the 1980s. He gave back to his profession, volunteering in VITA to assist underdeveloped communities manufacture ceramic brick, tile, and pottery from local materials. He was made a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society and served as a Vice President. He was awarder the International Electronics Packaging Society Distinguished Achievement Award for technical and other significant contributions to the electronic packaging industry. After co-founding a company in high tech ceramics, which was later sold to Hewlett-Packard, he embarked on a consulting career which spanned twenty-six years and he assisted in the establishment of a dozen facilities utilizing co-fired ceramic technology in the United States, Europe and Asia. He is survived by his wife, Patricia (Patt) F. Welterlen, three children, Paul Arthur Welterlen (wife Bobbee), Julia Lee Welterlen-Fady (husband, Bruno), Dean Alan Welterlen (wife Jana) and six grandchildren, Christopher Fady, Alice Fady, Jonathan Fady, Nicholas Welterlen, Sarah Welterlen. and Milena Werner. He was preceded in death by his eldest daughter, Celia Ann Welterlen-Fassbinder (husband Bill), His remains will be cremated and scattered at sea near the La Jolla beach he loved to visit. A celebration of life will be held in his honor on August 26th between 3 p.m.-5 p.m. in the Walnut Room at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club located at 2000 Spindrift Drive. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the San Diego Hospice at 4311 Third Ave. San Diego, CA 92103.
(Published in San Diego Union-Tribune on August 22, 2010)