The Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) today announced that the Robert J. and Leona DeArmond Public Foundation has awarded $300,000 to the university in support of nurturing outstanding engineering and technology professionals in Oregon. Out of the total, $200,000 will provide five students from Oregon high schools with fully-paid tuition and fees for 4 years at Oregon Tech, in addition to providing internships at the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research & Development (OMIC R&D) in Scappoose. Another $100,000 of the award will be earmarked for scholarships for deserving Oregon Tech students at large.
A brand new effort, the $200,000 in student support will establish the DeArmond Manufacturing Fellows at Oregon Tech. Seniors from any Oregon high school are eligible to apply to be part of an integrated internship program in manufacturing at OMIC R&D, in concert with Oregon Tech’s applied bachelor’s degree programs in mechanical and manufacturing engineering. Qualified students for these prestigious positions will be selected from high schools in Oregon, and will receive a 4-year, full tuition and fees scholarship to Oregon Tech, in addition to the possibility of earning supplementary wages through a partial stipend from OMIC R&D during their internship experiences.
Oregon Tech president Nagi Naganathan said, “We are thankful for this significant investment that the DeArmond Foundation is making in Oregon Tech students. Integrating the student scholars into the new OMIC R&D enterprise is a unique approach to growing the state’s own engineering and technology workforce. Manufacturing has always been recognized as a key to prosperity. This is nurtured not only by building leading-edge manufacturing competencies but also by fostering an exceptionally qualified workforce -- talented young women and men who will be the innovation and technology leaders of tomorrow.”
Once selected this Spring, students will begin building foundational skills in their first year at Oregon Tech. In the three years to follow they will cultivate not only the technical skills needed to be innovators in industry, but a deeply engrained, hands-on applied professional development experience, allowing them to address even the most complex challenges faced by industry.
Trustees of the DeArmond Foundation said, “Robert and Leona would be pleased about the launch of the DeArmond Manufacturing Fellows program at Oregon Tech, and the impact it will have for these students pursuing a high quality education that includes the OMIC experience. We need to work hard to cultivate excellence in student academic experiences and in building manufacturing strength here in our state. What better place to invest than in our future through supporting our next generation of technology professionals.”
OMIC has positioned itself uniquely, with a simultaneous focus on creating state-of-the-art technology solutions in manufacturing and actively encouraging future manufacturing professionals. OMIC R&D will deliver advanced manufacturing research activities through its academic research partners -- Oregon Tech, Portland State University (PSU), and Oregon State University (OSU) -- who will be working closely with industry professionals. This public-private partnership augments the region’s capabilities in metals, machinery and manufacturing, and trains the next generation of manufacturing workforce, leading to quality jobs and economic development.
Senator Betsy Johnson, in whose district OMIC is located said, “The DeArmond Foundation’s investment in students will have a lasting impact not only on the recipients, but also on the manufacturing workforce in Oregon. These generous scholarships and internship opportunities will give more Oregonian students an opportunity to access and excel in college. I can’t wait to meet the students who will be the first DeArmond Fellows, and see them in action at OMIC.”
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About Oregon Tech
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is the premier public polytechnic institution in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech provides bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in engineering, health technologies, business, technology, communication, and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public, and international communities through applied and relevant learning and professional practice. Oregon Tech has a full-service, residential campus in Klamath Falls, an urban, industry-focused campus in Portland-Metro (Wilsonville), an Online Campus, and offers degrees at Boeing Seattle, Salem, and at other sites. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology.
About the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research and Development (OMIC R&D)
OMIC is a world-class collaborative environment bringing together industry, higher education and government in partnership to develop new tools, techniques and technologies to address near-term manufacturing challenges through applied research and advanced technical training. OMIC is modeled after the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (AMRC) in partnership with Boeing in Sheffield, England. OMIC R&D manufacturing members and university partners include: ATI, Blount International, The Boeing Company, Daimler Trucks North America, Hangsterfer’s Laboratories, Inc., Kennametal, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, OSG USA, Inc., Silver Eagle Manufacturing, Vigor, Walter Tools, and WFL Millturn Technologies; and Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech); Oregon State University (OSU); and Portland State University (PSU).
The collaborative OMIC partnership also includes: AFL-CIO, Business Oregon, City of Scappoose, Columbia County, Columbia County Economic Team, Greater Portland Inc., Manufacturing 21, Portland Community College, Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Oregon Employment Department, and Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace.
