- Cooperative robots take center stage at FIRST Global in Panama
- Lam is a pioneer in semi mechatronics, like Dextro, which works side-by-side with engineers
Every year the FIRST Global Challenge brings together high school robotics teams from nearly every nation, challenging them to design, build, and program robots that must cooperate to solve complex tasks. This year, as teams gather in Panama City, the spirit of innovation and collaboration on display echoes the work happening inside Lam’s own labs and fabs.
At Lam, our engineers are pioneering the future of semiconductor manufacturing with advanced mechatronics and automation—and one way we are doing this is through collaborative robots like Dextro™, which works side-by-side with engineers to tackle the industry’s toughest challenges.
Our partnership with FIRST Global is a meeting of minds and missions. Lam engineers, like Danielle “Dannie” Paulk and Divya Bellamkonda, mentor student teams to build better robots and to inspire the next generation of innovators who will shape the future of technology.
Mentoring the Next Generation
When is a good age to get young students interested in STEM? How about second grade?
That’s when Danielle “Dannie” Paulk, now a manufacturing engineer at Silfex, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lam Research, first joined a robotics club in school. Back then STEM outreach programs weren’t as prevalent as today, but the excitement of building her first small robot stuck with her. “Even as a kid, I loved understanding how things worked,” she says. “That passion eventually steered me toward mechanical engineering—and now to Lam. Being able to mentor a team brings it full circle.”
Today Dannie is one of 51 Lam volunteers mentoring 12 student teams in this year’s FIRST Global Challenge, where more than 2,000 students from 193 teams will gather to design, build, and code robots that solve real-world challenges. The program—supported by Lam’s multiyear, $10 million partnership with FIRST Global—encourages students worldwide to pursue science and engineering careers.
Where Dannie’s journey shows the power of early exposure, Divya Bellamkonda’s story shows the impact of finding guidance later in life. The senior software developer manager in Lam’s Semiverse Solutions group didn’t have mentors growing up. “That’s why I want to be there for these kids, to help them discover they can solve problems on their own,” she says.
Divya’s team in Honduras meets weekly to troubleshoot everything from coding errors to motor-arm mechanics. “Sometimes the simplest ideas, like using tape to fix friction, turn out to be the best solution,” she says. “The students remind me that creativity matters as much as precision.”
Tomorrow’s Innovators
The partnership with FIRST Global is part of our broader Acting with Purpose for a Better World initiative. With a focus on transformative learning, Lam encourages employees to share their expertise to help prepare tomorrow’s innovators. Their efforts ensure curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning remain at the heart of how Lam shapes the future of technology.
“Every small interaction can change a student’s path,” says Christie Valdez, director, Global Community Impact. “When our employees mentor these teams, they’re building robots, yes, as they’re also building confidence, creativity, and community.”
The same engineering mindset—systems thinking, creative problem-solving, and teamwork—drives both Lam’s leadership in automation and the ingenuity of FIRST Global teams. Whether it’s a student debugging code in the pit or a Lam engineer deploying a cobot to improve precision and safety, both are united by a shared mission: using robotics to push the boundaries of what’s possible.