The Denso North America Foundation (DNAF) philanthropic arm of corrosion protection group Denso North America (Houston, Texas) recently confirmed its 2017 college and university grants, with nearly $1 million in overall funding allocated for more than 20 institutions and educational programs across North America.
“Innovation throughout the manufacturing industry will continue to produce more growth opportunities for students in skilled trades and technical fields,” says Doug Patton, DNAF president and an executive vice president of engineering with the company. “Companies will lean on this young workforce for years to come, and in order to succeed, we need to empower students by giving a better sense for what they’ll experience in the workplace.”
The company’s foundation funds programs across the continent each year providing hands-on learning opportunities in areas from robotics and thermodynamics to design and materials development.
“The automotive industry relies more and more on those with expertise in fields like robotics and electrical engineering and mechanical engineering,” says David Cole, a DNAF board member. “Supporting STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] education enables Denso to develop the next generation of talent needed to fill these roles. It also helps students find ways to translate their passion and skills into opportunity after graduation.”
Since 2001, the foundation has advanced the auto industry through grants to colleges and universities and by providing students with technology, tools, and experiences similar to that of the professional workplace The proposal process for these education grants is by invite only, and all proposals are evaluated based on technical merit, student experience, and alignment with industry needs.
This year’s grant recipients include Arkansas Northeastern College (Blytheville, Arkansas), Arkansas State University (Jonesboro, Arkansas), California State University Long Beach (Long Beach, California), Cleveland State Community College (Cleveland, Tennessee), CONALEP Technical College (Metepec, Mexico), Conestoga College (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada), East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, Tennessee), Kettering University (Flint, Michigan), Lawrence Technological University (Southfield, Michigan), Michigan State University (East Lansing, Michigan), Michigan Technological University (Houghton, Michigan), North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina), Northeast State Community College (Blountville, Tennessee), Oakland University (Rochester, Michigan), Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville, Tennessee), Trine University (Angola, Indiana), the University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario, Canada), the University of Kentucky (Lexington, Kentucky), the University of Tennessee—Chattanooga (Chattanooga, Tennessee), the University of Tennessee—Knoxville (Knoxville, Tennessee), and Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, Michigan).