Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, made a gift of $100,000 to the Monroe Community College Foundation to establish the Harris Corporation Endowed Scholarship for Women in Technology at MCC. The gift announcement was made during Harris’s “Women in Technology Conference” at Harris RF Communications in Rochester on April 19. Vice President for Academic Services Janet J. Glocker, Ph.D. and MCC Foundation Executive Director Diane L. Shoger accepted the gift on behalf of MCC.
Two $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to one first-year and one second-year female MCC student beginning in the 2010-2011 academic year. The endowment will fund scholarships in perpetuity following the first awards. Eligible students must be enrolled full-time in one of the following technical fields of study: Applied Engineering Science, Computer Systems, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Information Technology or Optics.
Harris also gave $100,000 each to Rochester Institute of Technology and Rochester Area Colleges’ Center for Excellence in Math and Science.
The conference brought together teachers, students and leaders from politics, the armed forces, academia and industry to celebrate the accomplishments of women in technical fields and promote education and careers in engineering, math and science. The primary focus of the event was to develop ways to encourage more girls and young women to pursue technology-related interests.
According to Harris, throughout the United States, the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics are facing workforce shortages, and are in need of both women and men. In recent years, the number of high school students who pursue college degrees in these fields has dropped continually. If nothing is done to reverse this trend, experts believe the country could see a critical technology workforce shortage as early as 2012.
Pictured below ( l to r): Harris RF Communications Group President Dana Mehnert, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, MCC Vice President of Academic Services Janet J. Glocker, Ph.D. and MCC Foundation Executive Director Diane L. Shoger.
Diane L. Shoger
MCC Foundation
04/26/2010 |