Meet a Tom Wanke Legacy Fund Scholarship Awardee - Ousmane Nikiema

Thomas Wanke was a monumental figure in fluid power, active for more than 50 years and influencing generations of fluid power engineers through his work at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, its Fluid Power Institute, and with the National Fluid Power Association.

Since making the announcement, total donations to the fund at the time of this writing, exceed $30,000. One significant milestone associated with that figure is that it qualifies for the maximum matching gift of $25,000 that was pledged by the National Fluid Power Association – meaning that the fund has more than $55,000 to use in supporting fluid power education.

In its third year, thanks to generous donations from Tom’s many friends, former students, and colleagues, three students received Tom Wanke Legacy Fund awards administered through the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation. Each of these students were awarded $2,500 toward their tuition expenses. 

When selecting the awardees of the Tom Wanke Legacy Fund, the judges were looking for students who were:

• Passionate in their academics
• Active in extracurricular activities
• Dedicated to obtaining careers in the fluid power industry

One of the winners, Ousmane Nikiema, is attending NFPA Power Partner University, Milwaukee School of Engineering. We asked Ousmane a few questions about winning the scholarship. 

What does winning this Tom Wanke Legacy Fund Award mean to you? 

Winning this award is an incredible honor and a validation of the work I’ve put into bridging electrical engineering and fluid power. It motivates me to keep learning and contributing to the field with the same passion Tom Wanke inspired in so many students. For someone who began with firmware design and grew into fluid power through hands-on experience, this award affirms that my interdisciplinary path has real value and potential.

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?

I was introduced to fluid power during my internship at Enerpac, where I realized how essential it is to design smarter industrial tools. That experience, combined with my co-op at MSOE’s Fluid Power Institute, showed me how electrical systems and hydraulics can work together. I chose to dive deeper into fluid power because I saw its potential to enhance real-world solutions through integrated design.

What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?

I aspire to become a firmware or controls engineer working on next-generation hydraulic systems and tools that are intelligent, efficient, and digitally connected. After graduation, I hope to join a company in the fluid power industry where I can design embedded systems and PLC controls that integrate fluid power with smart technology. I’m especially interested in helping to develop tools that improve industrial productivity while reducing energy waste through real-time data and automation.