This investment is part of the Foundation's continued efforts to inspire, prepare and support the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists, while filling the much needed pipeline of skilled talent.

DEARBORN, Mich., May 16, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The SME Education Foundation has awarded over $570,000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors, undergraduates and graduate students pursuing degrees in manufacturing engineering and related technologies. This investment is part of the Foundation's continued efforts to inspire, prepare and support the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists, while filling the much needed pipeline of skilled talent.

The Foundation's largest award is the four-year, $40,000 SME Education Family Scholarship, which was given to Joshua Cukier, who will be attending the University of Michigan, where he will pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Cukier plans to enter the university's Engineering Honors program in the fall and will spend the summer working as an intern for Bosch in its chassis division.

"Engineers have minds that crave constant enrichment and growth and they rarely give up and settle into a life of monotony," said Cukier. "This is why I want to pursue a degree in engineering where I can study the intricacies of innovative manufacturing processes such as collaborative robotics, additive manufacturing, and machine health monitoring."

The SME Education Foundation's Family Scholarships are awarded to relatives of SME members. Two other students - both majoring in mechanical engineering - will receive four-year Family Scholarships totaling $20,000 each: Charlotte Teunisse, who will attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and Christian Ulman, a student at Tri-State University in Angola, Ind.

In addition, three students will receive the Cecil W. Schneider Directors Scholarship in the amount of $5,000: James Biaglow, University of Alabama; Rebecca Kurfess, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); and Tyler Rigby, Penn State Behrend.

"These young men and women represent the best and brightest students pursuing advanced education in manufacturing and we are proud to celebrate their academic achievements and support their educational pathways to successful careers," said Brian Glowiak, director of the SME Education Foundation. "We are honored to play a role in fostering their continuing success and we look forward to the positive impact they will make on the future manufacturing industry."

In addition to the Family Scholarship, the Foundation is awarding more than 240 scholarships ranging from $1,000 - $6,000 to be used for tuition, books or lab/course fees related to their technical or engineering education. In total, the SME Education Foundation awarded more than $570,000 for the 2016/2017 academic year.

The SME Education Foundation will begin accepting scholarship applications for the 2017-18 school year in November 2016. For additional information or to register for application reminders, please visit smeef.org/scholarships.

About the SME Education Foundation
The SME Education Foundation is committed to inspiring, preparing and supporting the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists. Since its creation by SME in 1979, the SME Education Foundation has provided grants, scholarships and awards through its partnerships with corporations, organizations, foundations and individual donors. Each year, the Foundation awards several hundred scholarships to students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and technology disciplines closely related to manufacturing. The organization also administers scholarship awards on behalf of major corporations connected to manufacturing. Additionally, the Foundation's PRIME® initiative was created to provide high school students with a tailored advanced manufacturing/STEM education.

Visit the SME Education Foundation at smeef.org. Follow @mfgeducation on Twitter or facebook.com/SME.Education.Foundation.

About SME
SME connects all those who are passionate about making things that improve our world. As a nonprofit organization, SME has served practitioners, companies, educators, government and communities across the manufacturing spectrum for more than 80 years. Through its strategic areas of events, media, membership, training and development, and the SME Education Foundation, SME is uniquely dedicated to the advancement of manufacturing by addressing both knowledge and skills needed for the industry. Learn more at sme.org, follow @SME_MFG on Twitter or facebook.com/SMEmfg.