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Scholarships

The University, the College of Engineering, and the Department of Aerospace Engineering annually award a number of scholarships. Some scholarships require a demonstrated financial need; to qualify, a student must complete the FAFSA form each year.

For departmental scholarships, a committee reviews the relevant information on all eligible students, and makes recommendations to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in Engineering, who notifies the awardees by mid-July. Some scholarship endowments permit multiple awards each year, but the number and amount will vary depending upon available funds.

Aero Pioneers Class of 1944 Scholarships

These scholarships are presented annually to one or more students with sophomore standing who are entering the junior year and intending to major in Aersp. Engr. A student must have a 3.0 grade point average, a record of active participation in student organizations such as AIAA, AHS or similar associationss, a good moral character, a sense of responsibility and a strong interest in the study and practice of aerospace engineering.

In 1942 a group of Mechanical Engineering students were recruited as “Aero Option” students into a new aeronautical engineering curriculum established by Dr. David J. Peery. The Aero Option students, Class of 1944, pioneered aeronautical engineering at Penn State University. During these years, Dr. David J. Peery established and headed the department now known as the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

With the establishment of this scholarship in 1999, the members of the Aero Pioneers (17 classmates) wished to honor Dr. Peery and the impact he had on their lives and on aeronautical engineering education.

Boeing Scholarships

Boeing has traditionally provided scholarships to students in several engineering disciplines, including Aerospace. Currently they are offering a total of 17 scholarships to students with an interest in the aerospace industry. Students must actually apply for these by completing a letter of application, and including their resume and one letter of recommendation. Deadlines are announced each year, early in the fall semester.

Lou Borges Scholarships in Aerospace Engineering

The Lou Borges Scholarships are awarded annually to students enrolled in, or planning to enroll in, Aerospace Engineering with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and who have a proven financial need. The scholarships are administered from a fund established by Louis J. Borges, a member of the Aero Pioneer Class of 1944.. Mr. Borges served in the U.S. Navy (1944-46), and as a flight test engineer for the U.S. Army as Chief of the Aeronautics Branch R & D Group in Europe, and as Chief of the Airworthiness Branch of the R & D Directorate of the US Army Material Command. He received the Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award in 2000.

John Pierre Hemler Scholarship

This new scholarship will be presented annually to an outstanding woman student enrolled in the College of Engineering, with first preference going to students enrolled or planning to enroll in Aerospace Engineering. Bob Hemler established this scholarship with his brother, John G. Hemler, in memory of John's son (Aerospace Engineering student) who was tragically killed in a bicycle accident. Bob is a 1970 Electrical Engineering graduate. John is a 1977 graduate with a BS in Social Science from Capital College. After graduating from High School, Bob went to the Air Force and attended Penn State on the GI Bill. After graduation from Penn State he went to work for GE for 20 years. He then spent ten years working at ABB. Most recently, Bob joined Burns and Roe Enterprises, Inc. in New Jersey where he serves at Chief Operating Officer.

Mary Ilgen Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is presented annually to an outstanding student enrolled or planning to enroll in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and who has demonstrated need for funds to meet necessary college expenses. Ms. Ilgen was one of the first women to graduate in Aeronautical Engineering from Penn State in 1948. Subsequent to her graduation, Mary secured a job with Douglas Aircraft Corporation in Santa Monica, CA. She continued with Douglas through the merger with McDonnell Corporation and retired after 46 outstanding years of engineering work with the corporation. During her career, she made major contributions to the design, development, and worldwide certification of all Douglas Aircraft models from the DC-6 through the MD-11. Most of her career was devoted to the performance groups in aerodynamics and test flights. She was a representative to the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, and received many outstanding awards and honors for her work. The College of Engineering recognized her with the Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award in 1988. Ms. Ilgen passed away on October 8, 1997. Her family was presented with an award from the Ameilia Earhart Society memorializing her as Honorary Pioneer Woman in Aircraft Performance Engineering.

Richard W. Leonhard Scholarships

The Richard W. Leonhard Scholarships are awarded annually to students with superior academic records (minimum GPA of 3.50). Students must also be citizens of the U.S. Once selected, a scholar must maintain this minimum GPA. Recipients who choose to pursue graduate study in the Department of Aerospace Engineering immediately following graduation will be eligible for a continuation of the scholarship. Funding for this scholarship is made possible through the generosity of Mr. Richard Leonhard and his parents Mr. and Mrs. William E. Leonhard.

Mr. Richard Leonhard received his B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Penn State in 1966, his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from New York University in 1969, and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1973. From 1966 to 1971, he worked for Sikorsky Aircraft as an aeronautical engineer; presently, he is Chairman and President of Southwestern Industries, Inc. Mr. Leonhard resides in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

Mr. William Leonhard received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1936 from Penn State, and his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from MIT. He served for 14 years in the U.S. Army Air Corps and the Air Force, and worked for Parsons Corporation for 24 years. Mr. Leonhard founded the Penn State College of Engineering Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education. He and his wife Wyllis currently reside in State College, Pennsylvania.

John and Brenda Myers Endowed Scholarship in Aerospace Engineering

This scholarship is awarded annually to a full-time undergraduate student who is planning to enroll in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and who manifests promise of satisfactory academic success. The scholarship is made possible through the generosity of John and Brenda Myers. Mr. Myers received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1960 from Penn State, subsequently working for General Electric Corp., as an engineer in the Aircraft Systems Group. In 1980 he became President of Lycoming Division of Textron, Inc., and in 1992, President and COO of Thiokol (now Cordent Technology, Inc.). In 1993, Mr. Myers became Chairman of the Board at Garrett Aviation Service, from which he has since retired.. He is a past national chairman of American Defense Preparedness Organization. In 1994, the College of Engineering recognized Mr.Myers with the Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award.

James R. Norris Memorial Scholarship

The James R. Norris Memorial Scholarship is awarded each year to an aerospace engineering major. The primary consideration is financial need, but the student shoudl also show promise of merit. James R. Norris received his B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Penn State in 1948 and was a member of the Air Force ROTC unit. He worked for Pratt and Whitney for most of his career. His widow, Mrs. Betty Norris, who resides in Bolten, Connecticutt, established this scholarship in his memory.

David J. Peery Scholarship

The David J. Peery Scholarship is presented annually to the outstanding junior in Aerospace Engineering in recognition of his/her academic excellence and extracurricular activities. The minimum grade-point average required for this scholarship is a 3.0. A student should have a record of participation in either AIAA, Sigma Gamma Tau or AHS, possess good moral character, and have a strong interest in the study and practice of Aerospace Engineering. This scholarship is given as a memorial to Dr. Peery, who.established the Department of Aeronautical Engineering in 1942/43 and served as its head until 1954. He was truly a pioneer of this field and had a tremendous impact on aeronautical engineering education at Penn State. Employed by Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. until his death on November 9, 1979, Dr. Peery is best remembered for his popular textbook Aircraft Structures, published in 1950 and in print until 1980.

Carl A. Shollenberger Memorial Scholarship

The Carl A. Shollenberger Memorial Scholarship is presented annually to a junior or senior in Aerospace Engineering who has at least a 3.6 GPA and is committed to pursuing a career in Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Schollenberger received his B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Penn State in 1967, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology. From 1971 to 1985, he was Senior Engineer for the McDonnell Douglas Corp. Dr. Schollenberger died November 17, 1985 while serving as a flying instructor aboard an airplane that crashed near Bakersfield, CA. A sister, many colleagues, and friends created this scholarship in his memory.

Donald G. and Jayne L. Steva Scholarship

The Steva Scholarship is presented annually to a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in the Department of Aerospace Engineering who has exhibited exemplary academic achievement. This scholarship is made possible through the generosity of Mr. Donald G. Steva and Mrs. Jayne L. Steva. Mr. Steva received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with the Aeronautical Option and is a member of the Aero Pioneers Class of 1944. He served in the U.S. Air Force (1942-45) and worked for the Steva Welding Company until his retirement in 1988. Mr. and Mrs. Steva currently reside in Erie, Pennsylvania.

AIAA Foundation Scholarship Program

The national AIAA Foundation Scholarship Program provides $2000 yearly awards to deserving undergraduate students. Selection criteria include scholarship (3.0 cum. avg.), ability to apply concepts of science and engineering, personal assessment of career goals (a 500-1000 word essay), and recommendations. Applications must be received at AIAA Headquarters in Reston, VA by January 31 each year.

Further information and application forms may be obtained from AIAA/scholarships, or from the advisor to the Penn State Student Branch of the AIAA (Prof. Robert G. Melton, 229 Hammond), or by writing directly to:

Scholarship Program
Director of Student Programs
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
1801 Alexander Bell Dr.
Suite 500
Reston, VA 20191-4344.

Vertical Flight Foundation

The Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) is the philanthropic arm of the American Helicopter Society (AHS). The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees and functions as an independent charitable trust for the support of scientific and educational activities related to Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) flight. Each year, the VFF awards eight to ten scholarships, each at a value up to $2,000, to undergraduate or graduate students interested in pursuing engineering careers in the helicopter or vertical flight industry. Applications for the VFF scholarship may be obtained from the AHS faculty advisor, Prof. Edward C. Smith, 231D Hammond Bldg.