By Andrew Skerritt
Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., joined Florida State University President Richard D. McCullough, Ph.D., Thursday to announce a $750,000, five-year agreement with Danfoss Turbocor to fund scholarships and provide research opportunities for faculty and students at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering (COE).
“The relationship between the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Danfoss Turbocor illustrates the ingenuity of our faculty and staff, and their commitment to provide meaningful impacts on our students and society through research and development,” Robinson said. “This agreement is a very positive step forward in support of our goal to recruit and retain the best and brightest students from underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines.”
The agreement, which was officially signed on November 12, established the Danfoss FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Fund.
The fund will award about 10 grants per year to undergraduate and graduate students from either university at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Undergraduate fellowships will focus on first- or second-year engineering students, focus on first-generation college students or those who belong to an underrepresented group. The fund will also support graduate research fellows and faculty fellows each year who are engaged in research that is of interest to Danfoss.
“This agreement is an exciting new chapter in Danfoss’ relationship with the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering,” said Danfoss Turbocor President Ricardo Schneider. “We have been developing a strong partnership for nearly 10 years, sponsoring undergraduate and graduate research projects, and are excited to expand our support for the development of engineering talent in the community. These scholarships will help underrepresented minority students achieve their dreams of an engineering career, bring more diversity to the profession, and create a talent pipeline for our Danfoss Turbocor business.”
