YORK, Pa. — In a targeted effort for a broader representation of women in engineering professions, Voith Hydro Inc., whose U.S. headquarters are located in York, Pennsylvania, is sponsoring $25,000 in annual scholarships, which will be awarded to mechanical engineering students enrolled in the Penn State College of Engineering’s Women in Engineering Program.
Voith has a rich heritage in central Pennsylvania, tracing its American hydropower manufacturing roots over 140 years. In an effort to give back to the community that supports it, scholarships will be awarded to Penn State students who live near the company’s York County facilities. With that in mind, applicants must reside in one of the following Pennsylvania counties: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry or York.
“By providing this scholarship, Voith will make lasting impacts on our engineering students by so generously supporting their educational goals and career opportunities,” said Justin Schwartz, the Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering at Penn State.
“The Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, which will administer the scholarships, also appreciates the unique focus on an underrepresented group of engineering students,” added Karen Thole, distinguished professor and department head of mechanical and nuclear engineering.
Additional eligibility requirements include enrollment at Penn State's University Park campus, participation in the Women in Engineering Program, and studies focused in mechanical engineering. Students that apply also must maintain at least a 3.2 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
“By investing now in the next generation of engineers, we’re able to sustain the local expertise needed to serve the U.S. hydropower industry. At Voith, our goal is to provide our customers high-value technology through fresh innovations and diverse collaboration,” said Stanley Kocon, president and CEO of Voith Hydro Inc.
Another key part of supporting future engineers is Voith’s desire to efficiently transfer its institutional knowledge of the hydroelectric industry from its current generation of engineers to the next, Kocon explained. Supporting young engineers in their university studies is another opportunity to engage them and hopefully pique their interest in hydropower, Kocon said.
Penn State expects that the scholarship will assist three to five students each year for the next three years. Recipients also will be eligible to apply for internships at Voith. The first year’s scholarships are expected to be handed out for the fall 2018 semester.
To learn more about Voith Hydro Inc. and how it serves to develop and strengthen the energy infrastructure, click here. For more information about student opportunities at Voith, visit http://voith.com/corp-en/careers/students.html.
This gift will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.