Stechschulte awarded Foundry Educational Foundation scholarship

By Marc Speir
University News Service
January 9, 2008

Texas State University-San Marcos student Kelly Stechschulte was recently awarded the Keith D. Millis Special Scholarship from the Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF).

The FEF, a conglomerate of cast metals industries, recently held its 60th annual College Industry Conference in Chicago, uniting 315 industry executives and leaders, student delegates, key professors, scholars, engineers and university administrators.

Stechschulte, a senior majoring in engineering technology with a specialization in plant production systems, received one of only four special scholarships of $2,500 that were awarded nationally.

“I was not expecting to receive it--it came as a shock,” Stechschulte, from Wauseon, Ohio, said. “They announced my name when I was having lunch… I really had no idea.”

Texas State is one of only 24 schools in the nation that are accredited by the FEF with students receiving more than $7,000 in scholarships from the organization in 2007.

The program at Texas State has grown substantially through the years as the demand for high-tech professionals has increased across Texas and the nation.

The Department of Technology was renamed the Department of Engineering and Technology in 2005 with the addition of the Ingram School of Engineering. Both entities are part of the Texas State College of Science.

Approximately 450 majors and 320 minors are students in the department which offers bachelor’s degrees in construction, general technology, engineering technology, general manufacturing engineering, high tech/semiconductor manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, electrical engineering and teacher certification. The department also offers the Master of Science in Technology degree.

Stechschulte plans on graduating this spring and is currently interviewing with several national companies.