The ASME Auxiliary will again have speakers this year at the Regional Administrative Conferences and the Student Administrative Conferences in the spring. But, we have discovered that many members who only attend the section meetings don't know about the ASME Auxiliary's scholarship and loan programs.

We are asking for help in getting the word out to mechanical engineering students about these programs that offer financial support. Thousands of dollars are available to these students to support their efforts to become mechanical engineers.

Any members of the various U.S. sections who would like to provide a valuable service to both the Auxiliary and mechanical engineering students by educating people about the Auxiliary's programs should contact Nina Webb about becoming a speaker. Her number is (321) 452-3717.

It is with sadness that I report that Marian Belcher of the Minnesota Section passed away quite suddenly on Jan. 4. Her presence at our twice-annual meetings will be missed.

The Auxiliary gives a category of scholarships that go only to non-American students who are doing graduate work at American Universities. In the 2000-2001 academic year, five of these scholarships of $2,000 each were awarded to the following people: Burak Basaran, from Turkey, who is studying at Texas A&M Univer-sity; Javier Duran, from Mexico, University of Michigan; Sergio Gueijman, from Argentina, University of Florida; Miguel Jovane, from Panama, Purdue University, and Oscar Soto, from Mexico, Georgia Institute of Technology.

This scholarship must be applied for in the student's home country through the Institute of International Education. Robert Bennett is the chair of the Rice-Cullimore committee, which selects the scholarship winners. That position was held by Robert's wife, Irma, until her death a few years ago.

— Ella Baldwin-Viereck
Auxiliary publicity chair

back to columns