RELEASE DATE
January 25, 2011
Contact: Beth Higdon
Beth@AstronautScholarship.org
Astronauts Increase Scholarship Giving
Kennedy Space Center, FL — The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) recently increased its scholarship giving by $50,000 per year, for a total of $250,000 disbursed annually. Worthy college students pursuing technological degrees at schools throughout the country will now be eligible for one of 25 $10,000 scholarships offered by the Foundation beginning in the 2011-2012 academic year.
To facilitate this expansion, ASF has added six new institutional partners to its program. Seventeen schools were nominated by astronauts and after stringent review and research into each institution's research programs, faculty and staff, national rankings and other criteria, the following six were chosen: University of Arizona, University of Rochester, University of Southern California, University of Texas, University of Virginia and the University of Wisconsin. They will join ASF's existing institutional partners: Clemson University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvey Mudd College, Miami University, North Carolina State University, North Dakota State University, Penn State University, Purdue University, Syracuse University, Texas A&M University, Tufts University, University of Central Florida, University of Colorado, University of Kentucky, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Oklahoma, University of Washington and Washington University.
All twenty-five institutions have been asked to submit their very best and brightest science and technology students to the Foundation for its review, adhering to the scholarship guidelines. For students to be eligible, they must be a U.S. citizen, nominated by a professor, entering their Junior or Senior year in engineering, natural or applied science, or mathematics at one of the 25 schools the Foundation supports, and demonstrate high levels of excellence in research and academics.
"In order for America to maintain its leadership in science and technology, it is critical that we continue branching into new frontiers by supporting cutting edge college students," said ASF Chairman and Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden. "This new expansion of the Foundation's scholarship program is a sign of great progress and we're proud to support America in this way."
To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly $3 million in scholarships to 279 students. Recipients of the prestigious award have gone on to become astronomers, chemists, physicists, engineers in practically every discipline, entrepreneurs, professors at top institutions, and military officers, among many other prestigious careers. They have launched payloads into space, studied distant galaxies through the Hubble Space Telescope, worked on the Mars Rover missions, trained astronauts, researched alternative energy devices, produced new ways to cultivate agriculture, researched the basis of congenital heart disease, mentored future scientists and engineers and more.
ASF is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the six surviving members of America's original Mercury astronauts. Its mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for college students who exhibit motivation, imagination, and exceptional performance in these fields. Today, more than 80 astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station programs have joined in this educational endeavor. For more information, call 321-455-7013 or log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org.
Editor's note: Astronaut interviews available upon request. Digital photos also available.