Foundation grants support Homeland Security, continuing education

Maxine Rosen
ASME Operations

The ASME Foundation has awarded three grants totaling $220,000 for the current year. In making its selection, the Foundation focused on programs in the areas of technologically sound public policy, professional development and education.

Responding to a request from the executive office of the president of the United States, the Foundation awarded $109,000 to the Board on Government Relations to support two ASME Fellows who will serve in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). They will work on issues of homeland security.

Shana Dale, OSTP chief of staff and general counsel, said that the office sought the Society's continued participation in the program because ASME Fellows have provided "key insights into risk and vulnerability analysis of policy issues related to critical infrastructure protection."

This is the second time the Foundation has supported the OSTP Fellow Program.
A grant of $86,000 was awarded to the Council on Education for year two of a three-year program to develop and launch the ASME Professional Practice Curriculum, under the auspices of the Boards on Professional Development and Engineering Education.

Designed as a service to colleges of engineering and engineering technology, the 40-topic curriculum will better prepare engineering students to enter the profession by raising awareness of the professional considerations they will encounter early in their careers. It will provide tools for engineering faculty and ASME student sections to emphasize to students that they are preparing to assume a responsible role in the engineering profession.

The Council on Member Affairs received a grant for five $5,000 ASME FIRST Scholarships to high school seniors participating in the 2003 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, in which many ASME members volunteer as mentors, sponsors, referees and judges.

The Foundation, which has supported this program in the past, will provide two additional $5,000 ASME FIRST Scholarships with funds from the Gracik Scholarship endowment. The scholarship is awarded by the Board on Engineering Education on the basis of technical, leadership and creative contributions, academic merit and financial need.

To be eligible, students must be entering ABET-accredited mechanical engineering and mechanical engineering technology programs, and be nominated by an ASME member.

In championing the program, ASME Governor Rudolf Landwaard drew attention to what makes this particular scholarship program noteworthy: "It is a unique opportunity to promote ASME membership to a select group of more than 15,000 high school students, whose first exposure to ASME proves that the Society rewards its members with opportunities."

For more information, contact David Soukup at soukupd@asme.org or visit www.asme.org/asme/ foundation.

 

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