FIERF — the Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation — has been selected to administer a new academic sponsorship program for women in academic programs related to forging technology. The Forging Industry Women’s Scholarship was established as a result of what FIERF described as “a very generous gift of Sharon Haverstock.”
Ms. Haverstock is the president and managing director of Haverstock & Associates LLC, a consulting agency, and enjoyed a long career as an executive with Scot Forge, a Wisconsin-based open-die forger.
In addition, she has been a “tireless supporter and volunteer of Forging Industry Association,” according to FIERF. Over her career, she served a member of FIA’s Marketing Committee, chaired that committee and also served as a member of the FIA Board of Directors and sat on its Nominating Committee.
“I would very much like to honor the people and the industry that helped provide me with an incredibly exciting and fulfilling 32-year career in forging,” she explained. “So many professional, intelligent, and caring FIA colleagues helped mentor and guide me over the years, and I’d like to help other women have those same meaningful experiences.”
The Forging Industry Women’s Scholarship will offer as many as three scholarships valued at up $5,000, annually, beginning in 2015, to women currently enrolled as full-time students in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico pursing an associate, baccalaureate or master’s degree in Engineering, Management, Marketing, Manufacturing, or a comparable area of study at an accredited community college or university. Preference will be given to students with a connection to the forging supply chain, and the program will encourage scholarship recipients to complete an internship with a forging industry company.
Awards will be granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, disability, or national origin.
The fund will be managed by Scholarship Management Services, the nation's largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition-reimbursement programs.
“By establishing this scholarship, I’m hoping to bring awareness not only to the women applicants, but also to FIA member companies,” Haverstock continued. “Welcoming women to the industry and helping them advance and attain their full potential would bring greater diversity, talent and leadership to their individual companies and the overall industry.”
Application and complete guideline information is available online at www.forging.org.
The deadline for receipt of applications materials is May 1, 2015. Scholarship recipients will be announced in June.
FIERF operates as a supporting organization to the Forging Industry Association, with the goal of promoting formal education and scientific research in the technologies related to the forging industry.
“Sharon's generosity provides a new opportunity to address our need to attract and train those who will be critical to the future of our metalworking companies,” commented FIERF president Rob Mayer, president of The Queen City Forging Co.