More ASME/FIRST scholarships

During the FIRST Championships at Epcot, seven students received a $5,000 ASME/ FIRST scholarship.

The ASME Foundation added $30,000 to the funding available for these awards for a total of $35,000 in scholarship available this year. Only one $5,000 scholarship was available last year.

This year, 32 students applied, up from 19 in 2001.

The seven winners were: Steven Butcher, from Hendersonville, N.C.; Joseph Krushinski, from Woodbridge, Va.; Nathan Millard, from El Sobrante, Calif.; Craig Pratka, from Yaphank, NY; Matthew Ryan, from Quincy, Mass.; Andrea Tribo, from Wilmington, Del.; and David Truncellito, from Somers, Conn.

Butcher was a member of the FIRST team "Shocka Khan." Krushinski was a member of the team from Stonewall Jackson High. Millard's team was the "De Anza Robotics Team," and Pratka was a member of the team from Longwood Central School District/Turner Construction. Ryan's team was "HYPER," and Tribo's team was named "The Miracle Workerz." Truncellito was a member of the team "Legomaniacs."

The review committee consisted of three members of ASME who have mentored teams, as well as last year's scholarship winner, who is now a freshman at Penn State studying mechanical engineering. The committee chair is Commander Vincent Wilczynski of the Coast Guard Academy. The other members of the committee were Commander Steven R. Chism of the Naval Research Lab, Professor George H. Staab of Ohio State University, and last year's scholarship recipient, Nerissa Lindenfelser.

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