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The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation has awarded 20 $2,500 scholarships to students pursuing fluid power related fields of study. One of the winners, Malcolm Smith, is attending Stanford University. We asked Malcolm a few questions about winning the scholarship.
What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?
Winning this award is an amazing motivation to continue to pursue fluid power in my career. It will contribute to my education in engineering, investing in my future. I really appreciate this opportunity and I am incredibly honored.
Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
Fluid power is one of the most versatile tools within mechanical engineering. It allows for actuation of both rigid and strong systems as well as soft and compliant. I've been really interested in soft robotics research during high school and fluid power is ubiquitous in that field. Hydraulics and pneumatics will let me build better and more versatile robots.
What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?
I want to continue my education through grad school after my bachelor's degree. I'm interested in the academic side of engineering, where researchers develop soft robotics tools to help real world issues. Fluid power is an essential part of research in that area and I'm excited to learn more!
A minimum GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0, 500-word essay, and letter of recommendation were required from each applicant. The NFPA Foundation’s goal is to help graduating high school students, and individuals enrolled in community colleges, technical schools and universities pursue their academic interests in fluid power.
One way NFPA members can get involved with scholarship programs is to volunteer as a judge to serve on the application review committee. This year 34 judges from 26 NFPA member companies reviewed 241 eligible student applications to the Fluid Power Scholarship program. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Haley Nemeth at hnemeth@nfpa.com.
