SME Education Foundation Annual Report 2023

Frank Ervin III Group Vice President Piston Group LLC (retired) Managing Director Ervin Policy Group LLC

Rob Luce Vice President SME Education Foundation

At SME, we believe that manufacturing holds the key to economic growth and prosperity. A vibrant manufacturing base drives competitiveness, resiliency and national security. Our vision is one where manufacturing is a diverse, thriving and valued ecosystem of traditional and sometimes nontraditional stakeholders. As such, we work to leverage talent and technology to make this vision a reality.

As the philanthropic arm of SME, the SME Education Foundation works to inspire, prepare and support the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent. We execute this mission through the delivery of three distinct programs that collectively serve 12,000 students across North America every year. Our programs expose high school students to cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, provide customized training and relevant certifications, and subsidize postsecondary educational attainment.

In 2023, we continued to improve program quality, increase impact and expand reach.

Highlights include the development and rollout — via the SME+ App — of a brand-new game that facilitates the student experience at SME Bright Minds Student Summits; securing funding for and scaling the SME PRIME network to 110 schools, more than doubling the number of schools over the past five years; and dramatically increasing the average award amount and percentage of renewing and need-based awards within our scholarship program.

We also introduced a new Community of Scholars initiative to engage a select group of scholarship recipients throughout their academic journey, and to provide them with various SME resources and benefits — including, but not limited to, a new mentorship program.

As you peruse the pages of this annual report, we hope you enjoy reading about these accomplishments and more, and take satisfaction in the important work we do.

On behalf of SME and the SME Education Foundation Board of Directors, thank you to our donors and our partners, and to their collective commitment to help strengthen the manufacturing industry.

INSPIRE PREPARE SUPPORT

philanthropic arm of SME, the SME Education Foundation inspires, prepares and supports the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent through three distinct programs — SME Bright Student Summits, SME PRIME and student scholarships. Established in 1979, the Foundation to empower youth to pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering.

The SME Education Foundation Board of Directors is the governing body of the Foundation. This diverse, talented board is composed of proven and accomplished professionals from industry and academia.

2023 FOUNDATION OFFICERS

President Frank Ervin III Group Vice President Piston Group LLC (retired) Managing Director Ervin Policy Group LLC

Secretary/Treasurer

2023 OUTGOING FOUNDATION DIRECTORS

Elected to the Foundation board in 2021, Marion Wells joined scholarship policy and review committee. After one year, she the position of chairwoman of the scholarship committee, and member of the Foundation’s executive committee. In her role, lead a strategic shift to increase impact and build lasting relationships student awardees within the Foundation’s scholarship program.

Kimberly Green

Kimberly Green was appointed to the Foundation board in 2021 and was subsequently elected to a two-year term for 2022-23. During her time with the Foundation, she served on the fundraising committee. Green retired from her position as executive director of Advance CTE in 2023.

Marion G. Wells

Arthur

JoAnne

Claytor

Valerie

Joseph

Komljenovic

Marion

John

Peter

2023 NEW FOUNDATION DIRECTOR CONTINUED

Kate Kreamer

Kreamer joined the Foundation board in the summer of 2023, filling the seat vacated by Kimberly Green. She was subsequently elected to a twoyear term for 2024-25. Kreamer is executive director of Advance CTE, the longest-standing national nonprofit that represents state career technical education (CTE) directors and state leaders of CTE.

2024 INCOMING FOUNDATION DIRECTOR

Matt Hilgendorf

Hilgendorf is no stranger to SME or the Foundation. A previous Foundation scholarship recipient, he served on the SME Board of Directors in 2012, 2015 and 2017, led the SME Member Council in 2024, and is a longstanding volunteer within the Foundation’s scholarship program. Hilgendorf is vice president of operations at Atkore, a leading global provider of electrical conduits and fittings, cable and cable management systems, and infrastructure, safety and security products.

students to consider manufacturing as a career is the first step in developing the next generation of manufacturing talent. SME Education Foundation Bright Minds Student Summits showcase the high-tech nature of modern manufacturing and the innovative companies behind the technology.

conferences and events, SME Bright Minds Student Summits promote exciting, growing and lucrative career path to high school students insightful programming such as guided show-floor tours, technology student competitions and keynote speakers, SME Bright Minds Student platform for manufacturers to engage with the next generation of talent in a way.

STUDENTS

Toronto

West Springfield, Massachusetts

Houston student summits than

Greenville, South Carolina

Long Beach, California

Chicago

Thank you so much, SME, for giving me the opportunity to witness all of the technology you brought together — from the automated robots to the mechanical arms and welding. It gave me a chance to learn about things I would’ve never been introduced to.”

Colbey Ryan, Student, Samueli Academy, Santa Ana, California

Thank you so much for all your support making sure our students had a great learning time at EASTEC! The experience was marvelous.”

Vianni Gomez, CAGS, Educator, John J. Duggan Academy, Springfield, Massachusetts

Over two days in Chicago, nearly 300 high school students from 10 schools attended the Bright Minds Student Summit at North America’s largest additive manufacturing event, RAPID + TCT.

Students were grouped into teams of five and guided around the show floor by teachers and chaperones, engaging with preselected exhibitors to learn about additive manufacturing technology and career opportunities.

The show floor tour and exhibitor interactions were facilitated by a new game within the SME+ App. Students and chaperones utilized the app to navigate a predetermined path around the show floor, meeting with as many as 40 different companies. At every stop during the tour, the app provided students with questions to ask each exhibitor. Students were then quizzed on these questions within the app, and they accumulated points with every correct answer. At the end of the day, every student from the winning team was awarded an Ender 3D printer.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

SCHOOLS from 300 10 students won 3D PRINTERS

40

10 EXHIBITORS participated student-friendly

In 2023, more than 900 high school students from 45 schools attended Bright Minds Student Summits at CMTS in Toronto and at the four SME Manufacturing Technology Series (MTS) events — HOUSTEX in Houston; EASTEC in West Springfield, Massachusetts; SOUTHTEC in Greenville, South Carolina; and WESTEC/AeroDef in Long Beach, California.

Students visited with 165 student-friendly exhibitors and participated in the same SME+ App challenge that was introduced at RAPID + TCT. In total, 45 students won Ender 3D printers at the CMTS and MTS Bright Minds Student Summits

Thank you again for hosting my students at WESTEC. It was an incredible experience for all of them. I had my entire Senior Engineering IV class attend: a total of 39 students in two sections. To a student, they all gained a better understanding of manufacturing, and the role it plays in engineering and our economy.”

Anthony J. “Nino” Polizzi, Educator, Samueli Academy, Santa Ana, California

919

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

165

SCHOOLS from

45 EXHIBITORS participated student-friendly

45 students won 3D PRINTERS

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING COMPETITION

In 2023, at the 59th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership postsecondary students from 31 states competed in the

Created by SME and Stratasys in 2013, the SkillsUSA competition emerging additive manufacturing technologies, while providing them commercial products.

The competition’s focus ranges from designing objects that help problems. In 2023, participating students designed an articulating pick up and transport three objects of different sizes, shapes and competition, all on Stratasys 3D printers.

Members of the winning teams were awarded scholarships, one-year memberships in SME, full conference passes to RAPID + TCT and

HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS

First Place

Johann Rafanan and Sabal Schuster

Nova High School, Florida

Second Place

Reggie May and Kyra Sandahl

Payette River Technical Academy, Idaho

Third Place

Alejandro Colon and Daniel Hulse West-MEC Northwest Campus, Arizona

Madison Area Technical College, Wisconsin

Third Place

David Atess and James McBride

Meridian Technology Center, Oklahoma

MANUFACTURING FUNDAMENTALS (CAMF)

students who compete in the additive manufacturing competition sit for Manufacturing Fundamentals (CAMF) exam, provided by SME. The CAMF exam additive manufacturing, including a comprehensive overview of additive additive manufacturing technologies, and basic safety guidelines.

the SkillsUSA additive manufacturing competition — producing more than 40 students the knowledge to drive their future employers’ additive manufacturing initiatives forward.

SCHOOL and POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS

TEAMS STATES from represented 31

Hernandez Sato Academy of Mathematics and Science Long Beach, California

WESTEC’s Bright Minds Student Summit Helps High School Student Visualize Career in Aerospace

Sophia Hernandez, 17, of Signal Hill, California, has been interested in for a long time — since she was a by the idea of astronauts flying into days, she’s more interested in being on aerospace rather than the flying side Bright Minds Student Summit at SME’s Beach the perfect place for her to be

was already thinking about a she says her time at the summit made interested in manufacturing — and in working creating a company like one of those

being able to walk around and see “It was interesting to see all the different things they do, it was fun internships and jobs, and it was fun doing

competition, students downloaded the guided them to student-friendly booths. received introductions to companies Afterwards, they answered questions based on heard.

printer,” says Hernandez, who is Sato Academy of Mathematics and — a comprehensive, four-year offering an intensive college-preparatory surprisingly, given her interests, her favorite engineering. While she’s interested in education after high school, she school.

sure which college I want to go to,”

start her postsecondary education Hernandez is already positioned Long Beach Community College, enrolled for several of her high

“I’ve considered attending community college to help get rid of student debt when I’m older,” she says, adding that she could start there and then switch to a four-year university.

Eventually, says Hernandez, she’d like to work at a large aerospace company. “I have big dreams and hopes for companies like NASA or SpaceX, things like that. I’d like to work alongside the people who built the rockets, and think of ideas and designs and inventions for them.”

Our Impact

By attending the SME Bright Minds Student Summit at WESTEC 2023 where she walked around the show floor, engaged with studentfriendly vendors, and learned about internships and jobs — Sophia Hernandez was better able to envision a career in manufacturing, which she had been considering for some time.

SME PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) partners private industry academia to build custom manufacturing and engineering programs in high schools across country, providing equipment, curriculum, teacher training, student scholarships and funding extracurricular activities and program sustainability.

Tailored to meet the needs of local manufacturers, SME PRIME:

9,000 93

30

91% 23 in across Serves Is aligned with more than Most importantly, leads of SME PRIME seniors to pursue MANUFACTURING post-graduation STUDENTS SCHOOLS INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS (IRC) STATES

CORE PATHWAYS

• Additive Manufacturing

• CAD/CAM

• Metrology and Quality

ELECTIVE PATHWAYS

• Industrial Maintenance

• Machining and Fabrication

• Mechatronics and Robotics

• Welding

States with SME PRIME schools

continued its impressive growth in 2023, new schools in Georgia and securing funding additional 17 new Michigan schools, which are set for in 2024. With the new Michigan schools, the network will stand at 110 schools nationwide.

GROWTH since 2019

Across the network, the Foundation distributed $3.4 million

to its SME PRIME schools in 2023, by way of advanced manufacturing equipment, curriculum, teacher training and student engagement activities.

Total :

$11 million

since 2019

State of Georgia Partners With SME Education Foundation

In early 2023, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) partnered with the SME Education Foundation to bring SME PRIME to select high schools across the state — providing students with access to new, advanced manufacturing technology and training, and helping provide a qualified pipeline of talent for the state’s growing manufacturing industry. With state funding, 12 schools enrolling more than 14,000 students were awarded an SME P RIME program.

The Foundation also partnered with the Georgia Association of Manufacturers (GAM) to include its members in the SME PRIME curriculum development process and ensure the voices of its manufacturers were heard. In total, 80 Georgia manufacturers participated and informed the 12 new SME PRIME programs.

Our mission in Georgia is to prepare students for life — which includes connecting them with the skills they need to find meaningful work and a successful future. This partnership will provide students with an experience that is hands-on, preparing students to participate in Georgia’s high-demand manufacturing industry.”

Richard Woods, State School Superintendent, Georgia

Atlanta

$4.5 million

12

Bryan County High School, Pembroke

Calhoun High School, Calhoun

Flowery Branch High School, Flowery Branch

Gainesville High School, Gainesville

Jones County High School, Gray

Liberty College and Career Academy, Hinesville

Monroe Area High School, Monroe

Newton College and Career Academy, Covington

80 an SME PRIME program participated in curriculum DEVELOPMENT provided a GRANT SCHOOLS selected to receive MANUFACTURERS BY THE NUMBERS SME PRIME

Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy, Dalton

South Forsyth High School, Cumming

THINC College and Career Academy, LaGrange

West Hall High School, Oakwood

Sustainability Awards

One of the most unique benefits of SME PRIME is sustainability funding. Once SME PRIME programs are fully up and running, the schools are encouraged to apply for sustainability grants — awarded by the Foundation — to help maintain their programs. Sustainability funding helps ensure that SME PRIME schools have the resources they need to maintain and grow their programs, and serves as the basis of the long-term added value provided by the continued partnership between the Foundation and its SME PRIME network. SME PRIME Sustainability Awards can be used to purchase additional equipment, service existing equipment, procure materials and supplies, provide professional development, enhance curriculum, or underwrite the cost of student engagement activities.

30 NETWORK AT A GLANCE of STUDENTS of STUDENTS of STUDENTS of SCHOOLS of SCHOOLS of STUDENTS identified as MALE are members of populations historically UNDERREPRESENTED within manufacturing and engineering qualified for FREE and reduced rate LUNCHES enrolled students from ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED communities qualified for TITLE I support

SCHOOLS AWARDED in 2023

SME PRIME Program Has Huge Impact on High School Student’s Transition to Michigan Tech

Jake Mahoney’s engineering education at Grand Haven (Michigan) High School — an SME PRIME school — has been instrumental in his success in transitioning to Michigan Technological University (MTU).

An 18-year-old mechanical engineering freshman at MTU, Mahoney has become a leader in his Introduction to Engineering classes. “I already have the fundamentals of [computer-aided design] CAD,” he says, “so I’ve become a leader in the teams that work on bigger projects.”

The first thing SME PRIME does, says Mahoney, is “introduce you to the tools that you will be using in the engineering field. The experience that I got from my first year or two in the high school PRIME program has been extremely helpful.”

In addition to the CAD and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) tools that SME PRIME has provided to Grand Haven, the program has also provided the school with Festo mechatronics training equipment, Universal Cobots, a Verisurf Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), additive manufacturing materials and a Snap-on Precision Measurement Kit.

Mahoney became involved in Grand Haven’s SME PRIME program as a freshman. “Technically there were only two years of classes offered through SME’s PRIME room,” he says, “but I guess the teacher couldn’t get rid of me, so I stuck around for two more years of independent study.”

At MTU, Mahoney got on the dean’s list his first semester with a 3.7 GPA. Again, his experience with SME PRIME proved to be helpful. “In my Engineering Fundamentals class I’m learning how to use Onshape, the CAD program that I spent four years with in the PRIME program,” he says. “This prior experience lets me take on a more ambitious design project to present to sponsors at the end of the year.”

Mahoney is attending MTU full-time with the help of several scholarships he received — including SME’s E. Wayne Kay Scholarship, for $5,000 a year over four years.

Regarding his future career, Mahoney says he’s not sure yet about the specific field he wants to enter, but he loves the application side of engineering and has secured an internship for this summer at Innotec, in Zeeland, Michigan.

When it came time to decide upon postsecondary education, Mahoney says he chose MTU for three reasons: one, because it’s a STEM-centered university; two, because several of his mentors raved about it; and three, he’s a big fan of snow and winter sports such as snowboarding. “There’s no better place to dig my car out than Michigan Tech,” he says.

“That’s going to get me some experience in injection molding and a bunch of processes like that,” he says. “I’m really excited, because they put their engineers on the floor where they’re involved with the process.”

Our Impact

Jake Mahoney’s SME PRIME school experience has made him a leader on teams that work on bigger projects at MTU. “When my teammates ask for help, I can give them a little nudge in the right direction as they figure it out,” he says.

2023

For more than 40 years, the SME Education Foundation has been a leader in supporting the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent. Our scholarship program awards millions of dollars to hundreds of graduating high school seniors and current college students who are pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, engineering or a related discipline.

With more than 60 distinct scholarship programs, the Foundation provides merit and need-based scholarships, issues renewing and one-time awards, and seeks applications from all eligible students, including but not limited to young women and underrepresented communities.

I am filled with gratitude for the SME scholarship I received. Without this scholarship, I’d have had to pick up part-time jobs to help pay for my tuition, but this scholarship has enabled me to spend my time outside of school pursuing my passion in research.”

Wesley Chen, Student, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

The Foundation AWARDED

We AWARD nearly

SCHOLARSHIP

Capitalizing on efforts in 2022 to increase the impact of its scholarship program, the Foundation was successful in increasing average award amounts, issuing more renewing scholarships, and incorporating need-based criteria into many of its scholarships.

Year-Over-Year Comparison

2023 2022

Average Award Amount $5,274 $2,439

to more than future INDUSTRY LEADERS in scholarships EVERY YEAR since 2005

AWARDS range from $18 million $1 million $2,500 –$20,000 5,000

Community of Scholars

In 2023, the Foundation launched a new initiative: the SME Education Foundation Community of Scholars. The Community of Scholars represents a select group of SME Education Foundation scholarship recipients who are provided with various benefits and engagement opportunities, and gradually introduced to everything that SME has to offer. These scholars receive complimentary membership in SME, complimentary access to Tooling U-SME, a variety of promotional and educational opportunities, and the opportunity to participate in a new SME Bright Minds Student Mentorship Program.

The SME Bright Minds Student Mentorship Program matches Community of Scholars members with mentors who are professional members of SME. The students engage with their mentors every month to discuss college life, academics, networking and career pathways.

Both mentors and mentees benefit from the program. Mentors get the opportunity to give back, while mentees have the opportunity to build relationships with high-level, experienced professionals who have been through the trials and tribulations of college life.

[My mentor and I] have talked about internships, time management, how to move through the industry, and about communication, especially with engineers — that’s never been a skill of mine. Most of my friends aren’t in STEM, so I need to get used to talking and networking.”

Abraham “Abe” Francis, Student, Sacramento City College, Sacramento, California

SME Scholarship Offers Helping Hand to Princeton Engineering Student

Shane Williams, an 18-year-old mechanical engineering student at Princeton University, credits his SME scholarship with helping him attend the Ivy League school full-time.

In 2023, Williams received SME’s E. Wayne Kay Endowed Scholarship, which awarded him $5,000 a year over four years. “It helped with my ability to attend college without having to work,” he says.

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Williams has been interested in engineering since he took a Project Lead the Way course called Engineering Design during his freshman year at Ann Arbor’s Huron High School. “After that, I took all the other engineering courses at my school, and I enjoyed each of them,” he says.

When it came time to apply for college scholarships, Williams came upon SME’s scholarships online. After determining that they aligned with his career interests, he completed the process of filling out an application and writing an essay.

“I took Tooling U-SME’s Introduction to Robotics and Robot Applications courses, and they were very insightful,” Williams says. “They taught me a lot about dif ferent kinds of robots, and how facilities are creating workspaces for the implementation of robots.”

That information should come in handy in Williams’ future, as he aspires to go into the robotics industry after graduation. “One thing I’d like to do is start my own robotics firm,” he says. “Robots can help people in different ways around the world.”

Regarding his transition from high school to college, Williams says, “Most of the courses I took in the first semester moved at a much faster pace than the AP courses I completed in high school. I had to refine my time management skills.” According to Williams, learning the Pomodoro Technique — a method for staying focused and mentally fresh — has been a big help.

In addition to focusing on his classes, Williams is part of the Kenya team of the Princeton Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). “Our mission is to create a sustainable water source for the community of Nyabohanse, a village in Kenya. I really enjoy participating in EWB because I get to see how the concepts I’m learning in class can impact the real world and help people.”

As the winner of an E. Wayne Kay Endowed Scholarship, Williams was invited to join the SME Education Foundation’s Bright Minds Community of Scholars — allowing him to take advantage of the SME Bright Minds Student Mentorship Program, complimentary membership in SME, and complimentary enrollment in all Tooling U-SME classes.

Our Impact

As the recipient of an E. Wayne Kay Endowed Scholarship from SME, Shane Williams has been able to attend Princeton University full-time. He’s also been able to take advantage of the benefits — including a mentorship program — offered by the SME Education Foundation’s Bright Minds Community of Scholars.

2023 SCHOLARSHIP

Virginie Adams, Indianapolis, Indiana

Oludamilola Adesiyun, Temple, Texas

Eric Arnell, Frakfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany

Anthony Baham, Morgan City, Louisiana

Rachael Bartho, Prior Lake, Minnesota

Jacob Bejune, University Heights, Ohio

Vincent Belleci, Spokane, Washington

Sam Bennett, Grand Ledge, Michigan

Cynthia Bennett, White Hall, Arkansas

Dalton Bermudez, New York City, New York

David Berry, Christiansburg, Virginia

Karan Bhatia, Labrador City, Newfoundland, Canada

Mehul Bhogaita, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India

Yvonne Blackshear, San Saba, Texas

Richard Blumenthal, Mission Viejo, California

Rich Boggio, Washington, Michigan

Justin Bown, Thousand Oaks, California

Thomas Bridge, Hampton, Illinois

Nickey Brown, Springfield, Ohio

Li Cao, Dayton, Ohio

James Castellano, Northville, Michigan

Jonathan Chaidez, Fort Worth, Texas

Kenneth Chan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Murali Mohan Cheepu, Busan, South Korea

William Clifton, Opelika, Alabama

Kristan Coleman, Hancock, Michigan

Pedro Cortes, Youngstown, Ohio

Kenneth Creasy, Lakeville, Massachusetts

Matthew Cullen, Georgetown, Indiana

Morgan Dague, Mount Vernon, Ohio

Alok Dand, Chicago, Illinois

Kathryn Daniels, Valley Center, Kansas

Grady Delp, Chesapeake, Virginia

Arpad Depaszthory, Ocean Shores, Washington

Jeff Drewett, Fort Worth, Texas

Amal Driouich, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

George Driscoll, Marshfield, Massachusetts

Ethan Dunn, Lenexa, Kansas

Elton East, Bristol, Virginia

Jonathon Eaton, Roseau, Minnesota

Haley Edie, Worcester, Massachusetts

Joseph Ekong, Springfield, Massachusetts

Ahmad Elshennawy, Orlando, Florida

Dana Emswiler, Fogelsville, Pennsylvania

Winston Erevelles, San Antonio, Texas

Katelyn Fair, Zionsville, Indiana

Gene Fife, Louisville, Kentucky

Paul Finelt, Demarest, New Jersey

Janet Finnimore, Waterbury, Connecticut

Benjamin Flores, San Bernardino, California

Raymond Floyd, Powell, Wyoming

Ron Franks, Fort Worth, Texas

Katrina Franks, Hustisford, Wisconsin

Wayne Frost, Waterloo, Iowa

Roger Fulk, Sidney, Ohio

Marvin Gage, Coldwater, Michigan

Kim Gaines, Augusta, Georgia

Linda Gardner, Shoreline, Washington

Donna Gatza, Joliet, Illinois

Rob Gauci, Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada

John Gauvin, Athol, Massachusetts

Mike Georgevitch, St. Louis, Missouri

Robert Gerritsen, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Tony Giest, Gillette, Wyoming

Ronald Gill, Riverside, California

LaRoux Gillespie, Andover, Arkansas

David Godoy, Taylorsville, Utah

Cole Goldstein, Scranton, Pennsylvania

Matthew Goobeck, Richland Hills, Texas

Michelle Hackett, Westland, Michigan

Eugene Haffner, Seymour, Tennessee

Aaron Hair, Twin Falls, Idaho

Raymond Halbert, Draper, Utah

Zach Hase, Springboro, Ohio

T.J. Hendrickson, Shakopee, Minnesota

Matt Hilgendorf, Harvey, Illinois

Leon Hill, Knoxville, Tennessee

Patrick Hillberg, Birmingham, Michigan

Robert Hilton, Everett, Washington

Brian Holmes, Fort Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Derrick Holobaugh, Searcy, Arkansas

Edward Horn, Hartland, Wisconsin

Andrea Hudack, Fremont, Wisconsin

Jane Jacobs, New York City, New York

Rajendra Jani, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

Jeffrey Jansen, Madison, Wisconsin

James Johnson, Mansfield, Texas

Geoff Karpa, Benbrook, Texas

Jacob Kilver, Almont, Michigan

Don Kinard, Arlington, Texas

Vidya Kishore, Knoxville, Tennessee

Robert Komljenovic, Miami, Florida

Pavel Koprov, Raleigh, North Carolina

Megan Korbel, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

Scott Krajca, West Lafayette, Indiana

Saso Krstovski, Macomb, Michigan

Rebecca Kurfess, Knoxville, Tennessee

Nick LaFave, Allen Park, Michigan

Jeff Langevin, Fort Worth, Texas

Dan Leatzow, Kalispell, Montana

Cheol Lee, Dearborn, Michigan

David Lintner, Charlevoix, Michigan

Kathryn Livsie, Kings Mountain, North Carolina

Stephanie Locks, Longwood, Florida

Charles LoSchiavo, Frederick, Maryland

Jason Low, Cary, North Carolina

Nathaniel Lyon, York, Pennsylvania

John Lyons, Baltimore, Maryland

Jeff Ma, Saint Louis, Missouri

Bruce MacKender, Oregon City, Oregon

Sarah Makki, Dexter, Michigan

Lisa Marshall, Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Eric Mayer, Bayport, Minnesota

David McCabe, Menasha, Wisconsin

Stephen McCoy, Des Moines, Iowa

Chris McCrory, Fort Worth, Texas

Lallie McKenzie, Eugene, Oregon

Every Foundation scholarship application is reviewed and scored by three independent reviewers. Each reviewer analyzes dozens of applications and supporting documentation as part of a rigorous and coordinated effort involving hundreds of dedicated members of SME, members of the boards of SME and the SME Education Foundation, and other friends of the Foundation. To each of them, we give our thanks.

Mark Michalski, Lexington, Massachusetts

LaStella Miles, Rowland, North Carolina

Jisha Mlynarczyk, Mason, Ohio

Kyle Saleeby, Atlanta, Georgia

Reeni Samuel, Scottsdale, Arizona

Curtis Scaglione, New Port Richey, Florida

James Van Wagnen, Warren, Michigan

Krishnaraj Vijayan, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

Ricardo Bravo Montenegro, Lima, Peru

Neal Moriconi, Orlando, Florida

Charles Mottier, Chicago, Illinois

Ashok Motwani, Gainesville, Florida

Sherman Mumford, Charlotte, North Carolina

Arun Nambiar, Fresno, California

Paul Nguyen, Renton, Washington

Vinh Nguyen, Houghton, Michigan

Anu Osta, Glassboro, New Jersey

Mahesh Kumar Pallikonda, Ada, Ohio

Russell Scheller, Rochester, Minnesota

Cecil Schneider, Big Canoe, Georgia

Kolleen Schneider, Bayport, Minnesota

Laura Schroeder, Grand Ledge, Michigan

Karl Schuchard, Cary, North Carolina

Lucas Schupbach, Paw Paw, Michigan

Tom Schwermin, Palatine, Illinois

Anish Shah, Chaska, Minnesota

Ragavanantham Shanmugam, Continental Divide, New Mexico

Jeff Shepherd, Gallatin, Tennessee

Craig Patterson, Waldorf, Maryland

Caitlin Pessolano, Lafayette, Indiana

Frank Peters, Ames, Iowa

Suong Pham, Houston, Texas

Bishal Silwal, Statesboro, Georgia

Chandi Pratap Singh, Liverpool, United Kingdom

Selin Sirinterlikci, Moon Township, Pennsylvania

Daniel Skurski, Mesick, Michigan

Luke Voldahl, Canton, Michigan

Krishna Vuppala, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Phil Waldrop, Jasper, Georgia

Xing Wang, Bloomington, Illinois

Chao Wang, Coralville, Iowa

Mike Watson, Winterville, North Carolina

Christopher Webb, Overland Park, Kansas

Dan Weidner, Wheeling, Illinois

Gregory Weisenborn, Hays, Kansas

Marion Wells, Flossmoor, Illinois

Josiah Wenck, Maple Grove, Minnesota

George West, Redmond, Washington

Ronald Wilkins, Greensboro, North Carolina

Robert Williams, Villa Rica, Georgia

Haley Wilson, White Plains, New York

Taylor Plekker, Rockford, Michigan

Sarah Powazek, Los Angeles, California

Steven Prascius, Shelby Township, Michigan

Livan Pratini, Palermo, Italy

Meghan Predenkoski, Tucson, Arizona

Dale Putman, Fresno, California

Chris Rake, Manchester, New Hampshire

Deborah Reisner, Adrian, Michigan

Ruben Reyes, Fort Worth, Texas

Duane Reyes, Irvine, California

Kyle Riegel, Waterloo, Iowa

Josue Rodriguez, Fullerton, California

Ron Rogillio, South Charleston, West Virginia

Michael Rosini PE , Randolph, Massachusetts

Itay Rubin, New York City, New York

John Ruegg, Rochester, Minnesota

Brian Ruestow, Orchard Park, New York

Liza Russell, Avon, Indiana

Suman Sabastin, New York City, New York

Stephen Skvarenina, Missouri City, Texas

Jay Smith, Aledo, Texas

Paul Smith, Moline, Illinois

Raymond Smith, Abilene, Texas

Katie Spendlow, Johnstown, Colorado

Scott Squires, Stephenville, Texas

Charles Stuart, Detroit, Michigan

Melodee Sullivan, Lake Stevens, Washington

Mark Syvoravong, Fremont, California

Tara Thomasson, Burleson, Texas

Victoria Townsend, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Serdar Tumkor, Boston, Massachusetts

Manuel Umanzor, Painted Post, New York

Alice Wind, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Tom Wroblewski, Troy, Michgian

Joyce Yeung, Prosper, Texas

James Yin, Seattle, Washington

Xiaomei Yu, Stratford, Connecticut

[As a former SME scholarship winner] I wanted to be able to pay it forward. It was such a rewarding and inspiring experience to see the applications of the next generation of young manufacturing professionals.”

Caitlin Ulinski, 2017 SME Scholarship Winner and 2022 SME Scholarship Reviewer

Making an Impact on Manufacturing’s Future

Providing pathways to manufacturing, engineering and related careers through high-quality educational opportunities is central to the SME Education Foundation’s mission of inspiring, preparing and supporting the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent. It takes a broad coalition of supporters to carry out this important work, and the Foundation is grateful for every donation received. The Foundation’s programs are dependent upon the generosity of individual donors, corporate partners, public sector investments and like-minded foundations.

Commitment to training and education is a big part of Rollomatic’s DNA, and by partnering with SME, we are excited to be able to help the next generation of manufacturers discover their career pathways. Working with SME has been a pleasure, and we look forward to many more years of investing in the manufacturing community.”

Joe Kane, Chief Executive Officer, Rollomatic Inc., Mundelein, Illinois

Jerry L. Wickman Scholarship Fund

In 2023, the Jerry L. Wickman Scholarship Fund was established by the family of Jerry Wickman, who exhibited a passion for making a difference in the lives of members of the future manufacturing workforce. Geared toward providing need-based support to Latina students, this generous gift builds upon the Foundation’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiative — which began in 2020 with the establishment of the Dr. Irving P. MacPhail Endowed Scholarship — to increase scholarship awards to women and students of color. Funded with a nearly seven-figure gift from the estate of Jerry Wickman, the Wickman scholarship was created by the donor’s sister and brother per his planned-giving instructions.

A former resident of Menomonie, Wisconsin, Jerry Wickman passed away in September 2022 at the age of 71. A 1969 graduate of Wisconsin’s Appleton East High School, he attended the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Milwaukee and received a PhD in engineering at UW-Stout. A former engineering professor at Texas A&M University, UW-Stout and Ball State University, in Indiana, Wickman retired from teaching to work in product design and development at Phillips-Medisize.

We were overwhelmed by the enormity of this task and unsure how to proceed. The SME Education Foundation guided us through the process, and was extraordinarily helpful and dedicated to following our requests. I feel confident that Jerry’s wishes were followed, and truly appreciate the guidance, support and kindness that the Foundation offered.”

Sandra Wickman, Jerry’s sister

Corporate and Foundation Giving

Corporations that recognize the need to support the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent, and like-minded mission-driven foundations, continue to grow the Foundation’s student scholarship program and increase the number of awards issued to students every year.

$200,000 6 In 2023, organizations in SCHOLARSHIP gifts PROVIDED nearly

We do a lot with SME, the SME Education Foundation and the SME PRIME schools to boost students’ awareness of the capabilities of the tools around them. They are the best partners we have, because they understand what a partnership means. They understand that they have to put in the effort; it’s not just tying your name to something.”

Jesse Roitenberg, Education Director for the Americas, Stratasys, Eden Prairie, Minnesota

SME PRIME SUSTAINABILITY

Established and seeded by the SME Education Foundation Board of Directors in 2020, the SME PRIME Sustainability Fund provides financial grants to high schools that have fully developed SME PRIME programs. SME PRIME Sustainability grants help ensure that SME PRIME schools have the resources they need to maintain and grow their programs long into the future.

$275,000 2 In 2023, the Foundation received significant GIFTS for its SME PRIME SUSTAINABILITY FUND TOTALING

The SME PRIME Sustainability Fund will provide the platform for funds and curriculum (Tooling U-SME) to ensure students have access to state-of-the-art technology and educators have the necessary professional development in engineering, computer science, welding and metal technology.”

Chris Wood, Educator, Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Our school district is currently struggling financially, and to receive sustainability funds for our SME PRIME program has helped immensely, especially with the increased cost of materials and tooling for manufacturing programs. Capital High School is very grateful for all the financial help SME has provided.”

Jim Weber, Educator, Capital High School, Helena, Montana

INDIVIDUAL

The SME Education Foundation is grateful for the nearly 350 individual donors who supported our work in 2023. The support from individual contributions ensures the Foundation has the vital resources necessary to inspire, prepare and support future generations of manufacturing and engineering talent.

Nearly 350 INDIVIDUAL DONORS

STUDENT SUMMITS

The trade show provided us with valuable insights into the future of engineering and gave us the chance to expand our knowledge. It was also great to have access to top-notch resources and to connect with industry thought leaders. We are incredibly thankful for the chance to participate in such an informative event.”

Kimberly Blancarte, Student, Samueli Academy, Santa Ana, California

ADDMAN had an incredible experience as a participant in SME’s student program at RAPID + TCT, and being a Bright Minds Student Summit student-friendly exhibitor. We cherished the chance to showcase our cuttingedge manufacturing technologies, discuss career paths and highlight our commitment to sustainability, all while nurturing the next generation of talent. We eagerly await future opportunities to support and inspire young minds.”

Chandler Stillman, Senior Marketing Manager, ADDMAN, Cincinnati, Ohio

This was a truly unique experience that I am so grateful to have been a part of. WESTEC was so much cooler than I thought it would be, and my expectations were high already.”

Trenton Tickenoff, Student, Samueli Academy, Santa Ana, California

Ed Goffin, VP of Product Marketing, Pleora Technologies, Kanata, Ontario, Canada

Participating in the Bright Minds Student Summit at CMTS was a fun and engaging way for us to help promote the Canadian manufacturing and technology industries to the future workforce.”

SME PRIME

Thanks to the financial assistance from the SME PRIME Sustainability Fund, we equipped the lab with top-notch ABB robotics technology, giving our students hands-on experience with advanced automation, robotics and AI-driven systems.”

Michael Geist, Educator, Wheeling High School, Wheeling, Illinois

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

SME PRIME helped us further the excitement in our mechatronics and welding programs. The equipment and supplies purchased for us were great additions to what we currently had. We are anxious to use the Haas Mini Mill, and have partnered with Alpena Community College to co-teach the program next year. With this new agreement, our students will get 12 college credits over the two-year program.”

Joyce McCoy, Educator, Alpena High School, Alpena, Michigan

Thank you to SME and the SME Education Foundation for their generosity in awarding me this scholarship. Reducing the financial burden has allowed me to focus on my academics, and I am proud to say that I made the dean’s list my first semester. The scholarship has allowed me to balance classroom education with participation in college clubs, including the Society of Automotive Engineers BAJA, the Institute of Electrical Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. I am also facilitating a start-up Radio Control club for drones and RC planes. These clubs are providing hands-on experience, diverse skill sets, and great connections to other students and professionals.”

Bennett Schirmer, Student, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, Indiana

I am unbelievably grateful to be a recipient of one of SME’s several generous scholarships. Receiving this scholarship has greatly lessened my financial burden, and has allowed me to give more time to my classes, my internship applications and my involvement in campus organizations. Additionally, I have benefited from my involvement in the mentorship program, which provided me with a mentor who is eager to give me advice and guidance about my college career as well as my internship pursuits. The mentors in this program are much more experienced and connected than anyone I could’ve gotten into contact with myself.”

Tessa Hand, Student, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri