Knowles’ donation will support engineering programs and scholarships
for female students at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College
of Engineering
ITASCA, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 26, 2014--
Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN) has committed $100,000 to the University
of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Engineering to support female
engineering students. Knowles, a Chicago company and the market leader
and global supplier of advanced micro-acoustic solutions and specialty
components, supports the development of a more diverse engineering
community and is committed to developing positive and enriching
environments for students to discover potential career paths.
Promoting gender diversity in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) programs is vital as interest among female students
continues to lag. A recent study1 revealed that female
students are three-times less likely than males to pursue an engineering
or STEM-related career.
Knowles’ donation supports UIC’s ability to develop and launch its women
in engineering summer program, a multi-week intensive summer program
designed for junior and senior level high school students with strong
science and math skills. The program is scheduled to launch in 2015. The
donation will also support UIC’s women in engineering scholarship
program.
“As a technology pioneer, STEM disciplines are at the heart of our
business and an integral part of the future of communication technology.
The importance of the STEM disciplines to our business and the growth of
our economy is ever-growing,” said Jeffrey Niew, President and CEO for
Knowles. “Our collaboration with the UIC College of Engineering is a
natural way for us to support the development of young women and the
skills needed to have a rewarding career.”
“Our mission is to ensure that groups underrepresented in STEM have the
opportunity to achieve their highest educational goals and realize both
personal and professional success,” says Peter Nelson, dean of UIC’s
College of Engineering. “Knowles’ generosity will significantly
help strengthen the College’s efforts to provide access to the
engineering field for women.”
The $100,000 donation will help fund:
-
Women in Engineering Summer Program: The UIC Women in
Engineering Summer Program will expose junior and senior level high
school students to various fields in engineering. The coursework will
focus on engineering concepts, robotics, and spatial competencies.
-
Scholarships: The donation will support scholarships for
high-achieving incoming female freshman STEM students as part of a UIC
women in engineering scholarship program. In addition to the
new-student scholarship, each year five student members of the Society
of Women in Engineering will receive a one-time scholarship of $2,000
each.
Beyond the financial commitment to UIC, Knowles and the College are
exploring opportunities for Knowles’ engineers to help shape a
curriculum and present engineering topics to the Women in Engineering
Summer Program students. Niew is a member of the College’s Advisory
Board and has mentored and spoken with UIC engineering students on
several occasions. Knowles engineers and employees frequently speak to
university students across the Midwest about engineering and potential
careers paths.
About Knowles Corporation
Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN) is a market leader and global supplier of
advanced micro-acoustic solutions and specialty components serving the
mobile communications, consumer electronics, medical technology,
military, aerospace and industrial markets. Knowles has a leading
position in micro-electro-mechanical systems microphones, speakers and
receivers which are used in smartphones, tablets and mobile handsets.
Knowles is also a leading manufacturer of transducers used in hearing
aids and other medical devices and has a strong position in oscillators
(timing devices) and capacitor components which enable various types of
communication. Knowles’ focus on the customer, combined with unique
technology, rigorous testing and global scale, helps to deliver
innovative solutions and consistently dependable and precise products.
Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, Knowles has more
than 10,000 employees in 36 locations around the world. For more
information, visit www.knowles.com.
About University of Illinois at Chicago
UIC ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is
Chicago's largest university with 27,500 students, 12,000 faculty and
staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A
hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC
faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation
and government partners to improve the quality of life in metropolitan
areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu.
About University of Illinois at Chicago College of Engineering
The College of Engineering is home to more than 2600 undergraduate and
1100 graduate students, offering undergraduate, master’s and doctoral
degrees in six departments as well as an online master’s degree and a
master’s of energy engineering degree. Faculty have received over 38
campus teaching awards and include 29 National Science Foundation CAREER
Award winners, and two members of the National Academy of Engineering.
In addition to field-specific research, faculty conduct
interdisciplinary research in biotechnology, nanotechnology, information
technology, cyber security, infrastructure, and energy/environmental
technology. Currently, more than $68 million of research grants are in
force.
1 Where Are the STEM Students? - https://www.stemconnector.org/sites/default/files/store/STEM-Students-STEM-Jobs-Executive-Summary.pdf
Source: Knowles Corporation
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