NFPA Awards 20 Fluid Power Scholarships

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.

The following students were awarded a $2,500 Fluid Power Scholarship:

• Adrian Tlustochowski, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Brandon Reshetar, Hennepin Technical College
• Carter Worm, Michigan Technological University
• Chandler Folkerts, Bates College
• Cord Akey, Purdue University (Raymond Hanley Memorial Award)
• Daksh Jhanjee, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Daniel Lee, Harvard University
• Devin Digman, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Kaitlyn Roman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Kevin Shen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Malcolm Smith, Stanford University
• Miles Carter, Mississippi State University
• Rithwick Lakshmanan, Iowa State University (Robert Mackey Memorial Award)
• Shresth Singh, Duke University
• Steven Hamley, University of Central Florida
• Tina Trinh, Oregon State University
• Zachary Mancini, Kettering University
  

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. To ensure that his positive impact on fluid power education continues to be felt, the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation administers the Tom Wanke Legacy Fund.

To honor his memory, the following students were selected to receive a $2,500 Tom Wanke Legacy Fund Award:

• Kayla Vallecillo, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Keira Boone, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Ousmane Nikiema, Milwaukee School of Engineering

We want to thank the NFPA Scholarship Review Committee: Ali Mohammed of QCC, Andy Johnson of Source Fluid Power, Ben Quade of IFP Motion Solutions Inc., Bill Haley of FORCE America, BJ Wagner of the International Fluid Power Society, Bob Hammond of Deltrol Fluid Products, Bradlee Dittmer of IMI Norgren, Brittany Kulka of Husco, Caleb Vickers of Power Systems, Inc. of Florida, Daniel Hurst of SKF Group, Edgar Torres of Bucher Hydraulics, Erik Keenan of Kraft Mobile Systems, Frank Langro of Festo, Gabriel Schatko of Exotic Automation & Supply, Greg Johnson of Hydra-Power Systems, Holden Galvan of Permco, Jacob Shoesmith of LHY Powertrain Corporation, Jarrod Sheetz of Motion, Jonathan Steigerwald of Gates Corporation, Jordan Kopka of Custom Hydraulics and Design, Jose Solorio Cervantes of Parker Hannifin, Josh Scarbrough of IFP Motion Solutions Inc., Louis Tisch of ROSS Controls, Michael Cook of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, Michael Kilkenny of Interlynx Systems, Neil Ferguson of SKF Group, Rance Herren of Fluid Power SME, Rob Shafer of GCC, Robby Haun of Festo, Shauna Bard of Danfoss Power Solutions, Shawn Moore of ROSS Controls, Spencer Tiegs of Milwaukee Tool, Steve Downey of Hydraulex Global, and Tom Peterson of Husco.

Many of these students will be seeking internships or full-time jobs in the future, so please keep them in mind for your hiring needs. Watch for future NFPA News articles, where we will highlight the accomplishments of each applicant.

If you would like to be a judge for next year’s NFPA scholarship programs, please contact Haley Nemeth at hnemeth@nfpa.com.