Trine University's Joseph Kaminski Earns Learning Stipend

2012 Jun 18

Trine University senior mechanical engineering major Joseph Kaminski of Valparaiso was one of nine student winners for the Lilly Foundation 2012 Summer Semester Experiential Learning Stipend.

To make internships and co-op education more affordable, the grant provided $2,500 scholarships to each student to cover relocation, housing, travel, books, supplies, equipment and other living expenses associated with in-state experiential learning opportunities arranged by Trine's employer outreach coordinator Paul Viglianti.

Boasting a 3.9 grade-point average, Kaminski is completing an internship program in Wabash, Ind., with the Ford Meter Box Company.

"Joseph is one of our top mechanical engineering students. His experiences will lend themselves to his classes during his final year at Trine," said VK Sharma, Ph.D., dean of the Allen School of Engineering & Technology. "Our engineering curriculum is rigorous, and we expect a great deal from our students, but their hard work pays off. This past year, we experienced an overall 95 percent job-placement rate for our engineering students, thanks to the determination and perseverance of faculty and students such as Joseph."

To be eligible, students had to register for an internship of three or more credits, an engineering internship or a full-time co-op. The experiential learning experience must encompass at least 112 work hours with an Indiana employer located outside a 50-mile radius of the students' permanent homes.

Trine University, an internationally recognized, private, co-educational, residential institution, offers associate, baccalaureate, and master degrees in programs to students in engineering, mathematics, science, informatics, business, teacher education, communication, criminal justice, golf management, social sciences, and various other fields of study. Trine is a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and offers 21 varsity sports. Its golf program includes the university-owned 18-hole championship Zollner Golf Course. Founded in 1884 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org), Trine operates a 450-acre main campus in Angola, Ind., and education resource centers throughout the state.