FEBRUARY 24, 2022 – The Kaneka Foundation announced last Tuesday its gift of $50,000 to establish an endowed scholarship for chemical engineering students at UTSA’s Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (Klesse College). The endowed scholarship will be awarded annually with preference given to assisting first-generation college students and/or those with financial need that may otherwise impact their ability to attend UTSA.
“This gift is another example of how Kaneka is committed to supporting the next generation of engineers,” said Eric Brey, chair of Klesse College’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering. “The emphasis on first generation students ensures that this scholarship will have a sustained impact on our academic community.”
“Support from industry leading organizations such as The Kaneka Foundation plays a huge role in student success at Klesse College,” remarked JoAnn Browning, dean of Klesse College. “An endowed gift such as this offers a unique opportunity to positively impact many students in the future and help them contribute to the future of the chemical engineering industry. Thank you to Alvin Proctor and The Kaneka Foundation for making this a reality.”
“Inviting the University of Texas San Antonio engineering students to participate in Kaneka’s engineering internship program was a great start, and a natural fit for our company, and the university,” said Alvin Proctor, president of The Kaneka Foundation. “As the Vice President of Human Resources, I have witnessed firsthand the dedication, the thought, the preparation and the hard work that each intern put into their project and presentation. I was impressed then, and I am impressed now. My visit to the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering has left a lasting and great impression. So, as President of The Kaneka Foundation, our decision to provide a scholarship grant makes perfect sense to expand our partnership. Our desire to provide opportunities for first generation students who are hardworking, dedicated and self-starters, is our passion and our purpose. I am looking forward to watching dreams come true.”
The Kaneka Foundation is a charitable organization associated with Kaneka Americas Holding Inc. a Texas-based organization with subsidiaries operating in the pharmaceutical, food & beverage, plastic, and polymer industries. Based in Pasadena, Texas, The Kaneka Foundation aims to promote charitable works in the advancement of health, education, environment and social stewardship.