After moving from Upstate New York, one microelectronics professional finds a new career path, a stronger quality of life, and a role helping local students prepare for the future.

Attracting talent to the Indiana Uplands is about more than bringing people here to fill open roles. It is about helping them exceed their quality-of-life expectations.

For Brody Moore, that began with a move from Upstate New York back to Indiana. What started as a decision to be closer to friends near Indianapolis soon became something bigger: a new career path into education, a better quality of life, and a chance to help high school students discover their own place in the future of microelectronics.

When the opportunity came to join ROI MOMENTUM’s team, Brody moved to Bloomington to work as the Cleanroom Specialist at the Indiana Uplands ME Training Hub and as an Ivy Tech professor assigned to teach in the Indiana Uplands Microelectronics Academy.  

Before moving to the Uplands, Brody built a career in the microelectronics industry as a Photolithography Process Engineer at Wolfspeed. Living in a second-floor apartment tucked away in the woods of Upstate New York, life had become simple: work, sleep, and repeat.

In the Indiana Uplands, Brody has found the kind of balance that can make a major move feel worthwhile. He can spend weekends with friends, get outside on nearby trails for walks or bike rides, and still enjoy easy access to vibrant communities, local restaurants, shops, events, and everyday amenities across the region. 

“There is a lot of natural area to explore while also providing access to basically anything you could expect from a more urban or suburban area,” Brody said.

For someone starting a new chapter, the Uplands offers both room to breathe and the convenience of connected communities close by. 

By moving to the Uplands and stepping into education, Brody now has the opportunity to bring his real-world microelectronics subject matter expertise and applied work experience directly to high school students preparing for careers in one of the nation’s fastest-growing sectors.

That focus on connection is also central to ROI MOMENTUM’s goal: connecting students, educators, and employers across the Indiana Uplands to build the talent pipeline powering the microelectronics ecosystem in the national security and defense sector. The name MOMENTUM reflects the region’s acceleration in moving people, skills, and careers forward in a critical high-tech field.

Through outreach, training, employer partnerships, and hands-on learning opportunities, ROI MOMENTUM is helping more people see a future for themselves in microelectronics, while helping employers access the skilled talent they need.

Brody’s subject matter expertise is an important addition to ROI MOMENTUM’s broader talent pipeline development strategy. Based at the Indiana Uplands ME Training Hub, physically central to the region’s defense ecosystem, he will help connect specialized industry knowledge and training with the students, educators, and employers preparing the region’s future workforce.

For those considering a move to the Uplands, Brody said the region offers a compelling combination of affordability, opportunity, and quality of life.

“It’s going to be much more affordable than almost anywhere else, but you’ll still have access to basically anything you could ask for,” he said.

Brody’s return to Indiana was initially about being closer to friends. But in the Indiana Uplands, he found much more: the opportunity to build a meaningful career in a region where people can also build a meaningful life.

And now, through his work with the ME Academy and helping to build the Indiana Uplands defense talent pipeline more broadly, he is helping students discover that same possibility for themselves.