edfas.org ELECTRONIC DEVICE FAILURE ANALYSIS | VOLUME 28 NO.4 2 Ask failure analysis engineers how they found their way into the field, and you will hear a tapestry of nonlinear stories. They come from engineering, physical sciences, mathematics, and computer science, with passions for debugging circuits, isolating stress anomalies, or writing code to interpret hardware signals. One of the greatest strengths of electronic failure analysis is that it requires practitioners who can connect across disciplines through physical testing, device behavior, and system-level performance. Certificate programs in failure analysis illustrate the tension of traditional pathways into failure analysis. While these programs help students prepare for careers in failure analysis, they can be confusing for students unfamiliar with industry jargon or unable to visualize the work itself. When certificates are tied to specific degree paths, they implicitly suggest there is a “right” way to enter the field. With anticipated semiconductor workforce shortages, this signaling matters.[1] Students who do not see themselves in prescribed pathways may opt out, even when they already have strong alignment with the underlying analytical and durable skills. After all, you can’t be what you can’t see, and too few students see themselves as failure analysis engineers. Compounding this challenge is the way students experience “failure.” In academic settings, failure is something to avoid. Success is measured through grades and mastery of well-defined problems, encouraging students to select familiar paths where they can perform well rather than explore unfamiliar topics where they might struggle, iterate, and learn. Failure analysis, by contrast, is fundamentally about engaging with failure: systematically, creatively, and constructively. It requires curiosity about what went wrong, persistence through ambiguity, and a willingness to test hypotheses that may not hold. These habits are not easily cultivated in environments that reward only correct answers. To bridge this gap, we need models that make the field more visible, accessible, and aligned with how students discover their interests. EDFASsponsored failure analysis workshops are one approach. Near-peer mentoring programs and career discovery models—such as those piloted through the EDGE-Epixego partnership are another, using a competency-driven framework to identify STEM students who possess the cognitive architecture for failure diagnostics. Near-peer mentors can translate between coursework and professional practice. They help students connect what they already enjoy—puzzles, debugging, writing, experimentation—to the work of failure analysis. A physics student who loves solving complex problems and communication, NOVEMBER 2026 | VOLUME 28 | ISSUE 4 A RESOURCE FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS ELECTRONIC DEVICE FAILURE ANALYSIS GUEST EDITORIAL REDEFINING PATHWAYS INTO FAILURE ANALYSIS: FROM DEGREES TO DISCOVERY Marla L. Dowell, EDGE Consortium, Dartmouth College marla.dowell@dartmouth.edu Anita Balaraman, Epixego abalaraman@epixego.com edfas.org PURPOSE: To provide a technical condensation of information of interest to electronic device failure analysis technicians, engineers, and managers. Nicholas Antoniou Editor/KLA - nicholas.antoniou@kla.com Joanne Miller Senior Editor Victoria Burt Managing Editor Allison Freeman Production Supervisor ASSOCIATE EDITORS Navid Asadi University of Florida Guillaume Bascoul CNES France Felix Beaudoin GlobalFoundries Michael R. Bruce Consultant Jiann Min Chin Advanced Micro Devices Singapore Michael DiBattista MITRE Corp. Rosine Coq Germanicus Universitié de Caen Normandie Szu Huat Goh Marvell Technology Inc. Jason Holm NIST Ted Kolasa Northrop Grumman Space Systems Joy Liao Nvidia Corp. Rosalinda M. Ring NenoVision Amrutha Sampath NXP Semiconductors Tom Schamp E-Space David Su Yi-Xiang Investment Co. Martin Versen University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim, Germany FOUNDING EDITORS Edward I. Cole, Jr. Sandia National Labs Lawrence C. Wagner LWSN Consulting Inc. GRAPHIC DESIGN Jan Nejedlik, jan@designbyj.com PRESS RELEASE SUBMISSIONS magazines@asminternational.org Electronic Device Failure Analysis™ (ISSN 1537-0755) is published quarterly by ASM International®, 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, OH 44073; tel: 800.336.5152; website: edfas. org. Copyright © 2026 by ASM International. Receive Electronic Device Failure Analysis as part of your EDFAS membership. Non-member subscription rate is $190 U.S. per year. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by ASM International for libraries and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) Transactional Reporting Service, provided that the base fee of $19 per article is paid directly to CCC, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Electronic Device Failure Analysis is indexed or abstracted by Compendex, EBSCO, Gale, and ProQuest. (continued on page 47)
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