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The University of Arizona's optical sciences building
The first candidate for a new graduate fellowship at the University of Arizona has been selected, and BAE Systems will provide the recipient with $40,000 over the two-year program period, while the University of Arizona Graduate School will provide the tuition.
Ezra Milby, a 2009 graduate from the University of Rochester, New York with a degree in Optical Engineering, will begin his course of studies at the University of Arizona beginning in the fall of 2009.
The scheme was created through the university’s optical sciences programme and selected students will intern with BAE Systems during the summer and join the company on graduation.
This is an extension of our partnership with the university’s College of Optical Sciences. We have been a member of its Industrial Affiliates programme since 2004, when the optical engineering function was created within BAE Systems.
Skilled optical engineers are vital to the success of our business, especially for products like thermal weapon sights and enhanced night-vision goggles. Frank Heitkamp, a manager of optical engineering for BAE Systems in Nashua, New Hampshire, said that about 20 percent of his optical engineers are University of Arizona graduates, describing the optical engineering program as "world-class".
In 2007 we contributed $25,000 to the college to help with the expansion of its Meinel Optical Sciences building, which has named a BAE Systems Conference Room as a mark of gratitude. Will Rivera, the college’s development director, said that our relationship with the college is an example for other companies to follow: "It speaks well of the forward-thinking management at BAE Systems," he explained.
BAE Systems also will also establish a directed funding program this year, providing $20,000 annually to the College of Optical Sciences to support existing and developing new programs.
"We actively support the university in many ways," said Heitkamp. "We provide BAE Systems information presentations and resume-writing workshops. We sponsor senior design projects, providing funding and project ideas and providing technical support to the students." We are also represented on the college's development board.
BAE Systems supports other college engineering programs at the University of New Hampshire, University of Massachusetts, University of Maryland, Penn State University, Purdue University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, Calif. We work in partnership with over 100 universities worldwide on projects ranging from industrial placements to R&D activity assessing disaster management systems.
