BEN JONES, B.S. ’13 scholarship luncheon. “It was inspiring to hear how he struggled when he began his career and how he persevered and became successful,” says Vandeyar, who recalls the advice Clark offered: Always be ready when an opportunity appears. “Mr. Clark is giving me a unique opportunity, and his gift has motivated me to reach my full potential,” says Vandeyar, a member of the Primannum Honor Society for first-year students. He has parlayed his academic interests into volunteer efforts, participating in conservation trips to New Orleans, the Chesapeake Bay and the Bahamas as part of the University of Maryland Alternative Breaks Program. A. James Clark Scholarship Recipient Andrea Ng, B.S. ’14, electrical and computer engineering (ECE), has been involved with the Clark School since her junior year at Blair High School in Montgomery County, Md., when she worked with ECE Professor Bruce Jacobs in his memory systems lab. “I was interested in research on computer memory systems, and the campus was close to home, making it a perfect fit. Knowing someone is investing in me and providing financial support pushes me to get more involved in the engineering community,” says Ng, who represents her department at schoolwide events as an ECE Leader. In addition, the scholarship gave her more freedom in choosing job options. “I had more wiggle room in pursuing what I truly wanted to do instead of worrying about financial ramifications,” adds Ng, who continues to work in Jacobs’s research lab and as part of the university’s information technology help desk.
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
A. JAMES CLARK SCHOLARSHIP
For Virginia native Benjamin Jones, the out-of-state cost of a Clark School education prompted him to pursue other engineering schools. When he was accepted at Maryland and offered an A. James Clark Scholarship, the decision was made for him. “Without the Clark Scholarship, I probably would not be here,” says Jones. For the last three years, Jones has worked as an undergraduate research assistant in the lab of Material Science and Engineering Chair and Professor Robert Briber, where he has gained valuable experience synthesizing and analyzing polymer-thin films. For the last two summers, he has held an undergraduate research fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). “I enjoy the atmosphere and the experience at NIST, and I can see myself pursuing a career at a national lab,” he describes. On campus, Jones has made valuable contacts through the Materials Engineering Club, and joined fellow Astronomy Club members at the campus observatory and stargazing around campus. At a scholarship luncheon in fall 2011, Jones was inspired further by his benefactor. “Mr. Clark talked about the engineering field and how he built his company. He amazed me with his knowledge of the Clark School and the industry.”
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ANDREA NG
STUDENT SUCCESS TIED TO RANGE OF SCHOLARSHIPS Many students have received scholarships from multiple sources to fund their Clark
School education. In coming to the Clark School, Massachusetts native Christine Pongratz, B.S. ’13, major in fire protection engineering (FPE) and minor in international engineering, faced out-of-state tuition rates nearly triple that faced by Maryland students. To offset her education costs, Pongratz garnered a number of scholarships, including the A.L. Brown Award through the New England Chapter of the Society for Fire Protection Engineers; the Sarah H. Bryan Award, in honor of Sarah Bryan, the late wife of the founding FPE chair Professor John L. Bryan; the Edwards Scholarship sponsored by UTC Fire & Security; the Honeywell Fire Solutions Group Scholarship;
and the RJA Group Award created by Rolf Jensen & Associates to support undergraduate FPE students. “Thanks to my scholarships, I could focus my efforts on academics and extracurricular activities that were important to me,” says Pongratz, who earned a 4.0 grade point average last year and was recently elected president of the FPE Salamander Honor Society. After interning at ARUP, a firm that designs Olympic facilities, Pongratz’s dream is to design fire protection systems for innovative athletic facilities and ultimately join the CHRISTINE PONGRATZ
(CONTINUED ON P. 8)
ARIS AND MARIANNE MARDIROSSIAN: GIFTS TO THE
MICHAEL P. MURAD PRESIDENT’S SCHOLARSHIP
FOURNEY DISCRETIONARY FUND AND FARVARDIN PROFESSORSHIP
JAMES N. NEWTON SCHOLARSHIP NORTHROP GRUMMAN ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS
TOW AND ROSE MOY: GIFTS TO THE TOW H. MOY
MARILYN BERMAN POLLANS AND ALBERT A. POLLANS: GIFTS TO THE STANFORD BERMAN SCHOLARSHIP,
MARDIROSSIAN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP, WILLIAM
MARILYN BERMAN POLLANS FUND FOR FUTURE WOMAN ENGINEERS AND OTHERS
FELLOWSHIP IN ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
CIVIL ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP
PHOTO CREDIT: LUISA DIPIETRO
A. JAMES CLARK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
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GLENN L. MARTIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY