Fund:

CE-CERT Ford- Engineering

Department:

CECERT Dept D01007

Purpose:

Graduate or Undergraduate Student Support

History and Purpose:

In 1994, Ford Motor Company pledged $10 million to the University of California, Riverside, creating an endowment for the benefit of the Bourns College of Engineering - Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT). It was the largest gift UCR had received. Part of the gift established endowments that will award in perpetuity the Ford Motor Company Scholarship, Ford Motor Company Fellowship, and Ford Motor Company Postdoctoral Fellowship. These awards are given to undergraduates, graduate students, and recent Ph.D.s studying environmental engineering.

Part of the gift of the this endowment is used to fund undergraduate students for the Ford Motor Company Undergraduate Scholarship. The Ford Motor Company Undergraduate Scholarship was established by an endowment to the Bourns College of Engineering from Ford Motor Company to encourage and aid undergraduate students in pursuit of careers in engineering. The award is given annually in the amount of $5,000 to offset University of California, Riverside academic expenses.

Part of the gift of this endowment will used to award graduate students the William R. Pierson/Ford Graduate Fellowship. The William R. Pierson/Ford Graduate Fellowship was established by an endowment to the University of California, Riverside, from Ford Motor Company to encourage and aid graduate students in pursuit of careers in engineering and doing research at CE-CERT. The fellowship is given annually to a full-time graduate student in the amount of $5,000 to offset University of California, Riverside, academic and/or research expenses.

Selection and Guidelines:

Scholarships will be awarded by CE-CERT.

Ford Motor Company Undergraduate Scholarship -

To qualify for consideration of this scholarship, you must be a full-time undergraduate student at the University of California, Riverside, currently pursuing a B.S. degree, and have maintained at least a 3.0 grade point average. Candidates should have, or plan to have, a working relationship with CE-CERT.

Judgment criteria include the applicant's academic record, recommendations from faculty, promise in developing a successful career in a field of engineering, and financial need.

The William R. Pierson/Ford Graduate Fellowship-

To qualify for consideration of this graduate fellowship, you must:

1. Have, or plan to have, a working relationship with CE-CERT;
2. Be a full-time graduate student at the University of California, Riverside;
3. Be currently pursuing, or planning to pursue, a graduate degree in engineering at the Bourns College of Engineering; and
4. Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

To apply, candidates should go to the online application form and fill it out as completely as possible. Candidates will be judged on their application material.

Chair Holder:

Charles Wyman, Ph.D.

Charles Wyman has devoted most of his career to leading the advancement of technology for
biological conversion of cellulosic biomass to ethanol and other products. In the fall of 2005, he
joined the University of California at Riverside as the Ford Motor Company Chair in
Environmental Engineering. Prior to that, he was the Paul E. and Joan H. Queneau
Distinguished Professor in Environmental Engineering Design at the Thayer School of
Engineering at Dartmouth College where he continues as an Adjunct Professor. Wyman is also a
cofounder, consultant, and chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for Mascoma Corporation, a
new startup company focused on biomass conversion to ethanol and other products. Before
joining Dartmouth College in the fall of 1998, Dr. Wyman was Director of Technology for BC
International and led process development for the first cellulosic ethanol plant planned for
Jennings, Louisiana.

Between 1978 and 1997, he served as Director of the Biotechnology Center for Fuels and
Chemicals at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado; was
Director of the NREL Alternative Fuels Division and Manager of the Biotechnology Research
Branch; and held several other leadership positions at NREL, mostly focused on R&D for
biological conversion of cellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals. He has also been Manager of
Process Development for Badger Engineers, an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at
the University of New Hampshire, and a Senior Chemical Engineer with Monsanto Company.
Wyman has a BS degree in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, MA and
PhD degrees in chemical engineering from Princeton University, and an MBA from the
University of Denver. He has authored about 80 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, made
more than 50 presentations for publication and more than 150 other presentations, many invited,
written over 30 technical reports, chaired numerous technical meetings and sessions, edited 9
symposium proceedings, edited a book on biomass ethanol technology, and been awarded 12
patents. He is also on the editorial board of several technical journals and the board of directors or
board of advisors for several organizations and institutions.

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