LTU Addresss Shortage Of Power Engineers With Scholarships
SOUTHFIELD -- Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, Lawrence Technological University is offering $10,000 scholarships for two years to community college graduates to complete a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering with a power engineering concentration.
The Scholarship in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program at LTU is open to graduates of an associate degree program in a STEM field. Up to 20 scholarships are available in the first year of the program.
The application deadline for the S-STEM scholarship for the fall semester is Aug. 1. Additional scholarships may also be available to attend LTU. For more information about applying for the S-STEM program, go to www.ltu.edu/s-stem or contact Assistant Professor Kun Hua at khua@ltu.edu or (248) 204-2557.
Responding to an impending national shortage of power engineers needed for the nation's electricity production plants and distribution system, NSF has awarded LTU a five-year grant totaling $598,000 to provide scholarship assistance to students in this field.
Power engineers develop, maintain, and modernize "the Grid," the vast network of transformers, generators, motors and electronics that supply electrical power.
"Electricity generation is one industry you can't outsource, and there is a shortage of power engineers in this country that could become acute in the next few years as many engineers in this field retire," said Professor Phil Olivier, chair of LTU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "The job prospects of new power engineers are excellent."
LTU's S-STEM scholarship recipients will gain additional knowledge about the power industry from outside speakers, field trips and participation in professional organizations. Internships and job placement are also part of the scholarship program.
"LTU will leverage its network of local and regional partnerships to aid in the recruitment, retention, and job placement of the S-STEM scholars," said Hua, the S-STEM advisor in LTU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
One of those partners is DTE Energy, which has a specific need to hire more nuclear engineers for its Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station near Monroe. DTE Energy worked with Monroe County Community College in developing the associate degree in nuclear engineering technology, and graduates of that program are eligible for the scholarship program to continue their studies at LTU.
"We have been extremely happy with our partnership with MCCC, which has enabled us to train and hire homegrown talent for technical positions at DTE Energy," said Vince Dow, vice president of Distribution Engineering and Construction for DTE Energy. "It's great that graduates of MCCC's two-year program now will have an opportunity to pursue a four-year degree in a field that has a critical need for new engineers."
One of the first students to take advantage of the S-STEM program at LTU is Tyler Splan of Monroe who has just graduated from MCCC with an associate degree in nuclear engineering technology. His goal is to earn a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at LTU by 2015 and obtain a job in the power generation industry.
In high school Splan took accelerated math and science courses, and his algebra teacher encouraged him to consider a career in engineering. "The S-STEM program has been created to help students like Tyler build on their aptitude in STEM subjects to obtain bachelor's degrees and pursue careers in a field where their talents are in high demand," Hua said.
Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Management. Payscale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation's top 7 percent of universities for return on undergraduate tuition investment, and highest in the Detroit metropolitan area. Lawrence Tech is also listed in the top tier of Midwestern universities by U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review. Activities on Lawrence Tech's 102-acre campus include over 60 student clubs and organizations and a growing roster of NAIA varsity sports.
