HOUGHTON--Ford Motor Company recently gave Michigan Tech its second $600,000 installment toward the support of a $3 million, 5-year business plan. This plan is designed to maximize the mutual benefits of an extensive automaker-university collaboration to prepare students for jobs in the auto industry.
The partnership calls for annual Ford contributions to support initiatives ranging from student scholarships and research coordination to diversity programs and facilities renovation.
"Michigan Tech has traditionally been a strong partner for Ford Motor Company in many respects," said Jerry Haycock, Director of Core and Advanced Powertrain Engineering, Research and Vehicle Technology Division, Ford Motor Company. "This funding for the College Relations Sponsorship Program demonstrates our continuing commitment to the success of Michigan Tech and its students, who will be tomorrow's technological leaders."
Ford's Careers for the American Road Scholarship Program sponsors 320 scholarship opportunities ranging from $1,000 to $12,000 per year and worth $1,259,000 over the 5-year duration of the partnership with Michigan Tech.
The Enterprise Program is an innovative path where students from varied disciplines work to solve real world engineering problems in a business-like setting. The current funding from Ford Motor Company will support the Society of Automotive Engineers Formula Team and Campus Development Team. Plans are to support three Enterprise teams of approximately 30 students each.
Ford Motor Company has committed more than $5 million to the Leaders of Innovation Campaign at Michigan Tech, including the $3 million for the business plan, a recently completed $1 million gift for the Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, and more than $1 million in employee matching and other gift programs.
One of the new programs supported by Ford calls for the production of a web site in conjunction with Michigan Tech's Youth Programs Office that would provide an interactive, multimedia experience demonstrating career opportunities available to those who attain an automotive industry-related degree. Highlights of the web site would include watching video clips of real-life robots in Ford manufacturing plants and sound, movie, and still pictures of youth program participants actively engaged in learning during the summer. Another component would be a "click-able" car that guides users through variable components of an automobile and associates different types of engineers and engineering backgrounds with each component.
"We're very grateful for this continuing high level support from the Ford Motor Company toward our efforts to produce quality graduates who will be able to make meaningful contributions early in their careers," said Michigan Tech President Curt Tompkins. "Ford has been a strong supporter of our University's programs for many decades and we look forward to continuing and even expanding this mutually beneficial relationship in the future."
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