General Electric scholarships will help diverse students soar to success

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two female engineering students studying together in the library

General Electric (GE) has created an endowed scholarship at The Ohio State University designed for budding engineers from underrepresented groups. The company has established this endowment through the use of funds previously granted to Ohio State to support early career and diverse engineering students and will continue to fundraise toward the goal of establishing an endowment of $100,000 or more.

The General Electric Endowed Fund in the College of Engineering will award one or more scholarships to second, third, or fourth-year students who are majoring in aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, computer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, environmental engineering, integrated systems engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science engineering, or welding engineering. 

In an effort to support diversity and inclusivity in both the college and the engineering field, preference will be given to students who are active members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), or organizations with similar missions. The scholarships will be renewable for up to three years, provided students maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

“GE’s generous gift is an investment in our collective future,” said College of Engineering Dean Ayanna Howard. “And it is a wonderful example of how industry leaders can join with us to make engineering degrees more accessible and attainable for more young women and men while embracing the diversity of their backgrounds and demographics.”

To ensure a lasting positive impact on students and help obtain endowment status, GE’s Ohio State alumni and campus relations organization will engage its members who are fellow Buckeyes to consider contributing to the fund. Once the fund reaches a balance of $100,000, it will be renamed The General Electric Buckeye Alumni Scholarship in Engineering Fund.

As part of its commitment to philanthropy, the GE Foundation provides a dollar for dollar monetary match for eligible personal, charitable donations made by GE employees. A concept created by the GE Foundation in 1954, the corporate matching gift program supports employees in their personal philanthropy and charitable giving. Today, the program continues to serve as an important element of the foundation’s portfolio, with gifts matched in 2020 totaling nearly $17 million.

Ohio State and GE have collaborated on research for decades and more than 800 Buckeyes currently work for the company.

“We at GE believe in the value of unique and diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives,” said Jon Blank, GE Aviation general manager and engineering I&D leader. “With diverse teams, we all are better equipped to innovate and solve complex problems to better our communities and the world. This scholarship’s intent is aligned with these values we live every day at GE and we could not be prouder to partner with The Ohio State University and the College of Engineering to provide this opportunity to grow and better our engineering community.”

by Meggie Biss, College of Engineering Communications | biss.11@osu.edu