Engineers PEI announce new awards for School of Sustainable Design Engineering
Engineers PEI, the association of professional engineers on Prince Edward Island, announced the addition of two scholarships and the creation of a new endowment to support students enrolled in UPEI's new School of Sustainable Design Engineering. This brings the total number awards that Engineers PEI funds from six to nine.
Justin Dunn, President of Engineers PEI, made the announcement at the annual UPEI Engineering Design Expo and Awards Ceremony on April 8. 'Engineers PEI has generously supported numerous awards at UPEI since 1994,' said Dunn, 'but with the launch of the new School of Sustainable Design Engineering, our membership wanted to increase our support to UPEI and further recognize engineering students and their achievements in this design-focused, project-based learning environment.'
The additional scholarships include two new entrance awards valued at $1,500 each awarded to a female student and a male student entering the first year of the four-year UPEI sustainable design engineering degree program who graduated from a Prince Edward Island high school.
Engineers PEI also approved a one-time contribution of $15,000 to start an endowment fund to allow our members and supporters of the engineering program to contribute to growing a new scholarship awarded to a graduating student. Members and supporters will receive a tax receipt directly from UPEI for their donations, which will also be matched by Engineers PEI. This award will be granted to a graduating student from the degree program who registers as an Engineer-in-Training in Prince Edward Island and who has maintained a high academic standing throughout their engineering studies.
'On behalf of the entire UPEI community, I thank Engineers PEI for their outstanding generosity over the years to UPEI students and for their support of our new School of Sustainable Design Engineering. In establishing these additional awards, Engineers PEI is helping us build upon a long history of excellence in engineering education and take it to an entirely new level,' said UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz.
The UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering, the first of its kind in Canada, develops engineers who have exceptional design skills combined with a global perspective and who are ready from day one of graduation to meet the challenges of today's world.
Until 2014, UPEI educated future engineers through a two-year diploma program that required all graduates to continue their education at another institution to complete an engineering degree. In September 2014, the University of Prince Edward Island established the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering, a four-year degree program. Engineers PEI played an active role in advising the University in the development of this new program, and the construction of a cutting-edge 75,000 square-foot facility to house the School of Sustainable Design Engineering (scheduled completion date is September 2016).
The new awards will go into effect for the 2015-16 academic year.
