BOISE (KTVB) -- The University of Idaho's College of Engineering is getting a big boost from the Micron Technology Foundation.

Company executives presented a $1 million gift today which will fund an endowed professorship in microelectronics at UI.

"It allows us to recruit and retain a very fine engineering faculty member, and really continue to build our programs, and serve the industry and the people of Idaho," said University of Idaho President Dr. Chuck Staben.

"That increases the credibility of what we're trying to do," said Larry Stauffer, Dean of UI College of Engineering. "It attracts more and better students. It enables us to hire faculty that we may not be able to."

Stauffer says the university was able to use the new endowed faculty position to recruit and hire a professor last week.

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