Currently, 60% of the DoD workforce is eligible for retirement within the next ten years.  The urgency for seeding new talent has led to a partnership with the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), which manages the application and payment process for the SMART Scholar program.  The goal of the program is to enable participants to focus entirely on obtaining their degree, while gaining familiarity with DoD facilities, operations, and culture.  In return for one year of work at a DoD facility for each academic year funded, participants receive full tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate work, an annual cash award, security clearance, summer internships and travel expenses, an experienced mentor, an allowance for books and health insurance, and post-graduation employment.

Toni graduated from Drew University in May 2007 with a BA in Mathematics, Music (Composition), and Physics.   She then pursued an MS in Mathematics from Montclair State University, which she finished this past May of 2009.   After an experience working on a space project called the Mars Gravity Biosatellite at Montclair State, she understood that there is an entirely different set of skills to learn when it comes to structuring large projects like this, especially in space.   According to Toni:  “When I researched where I could learn these kinds of skills, I realized that there is a name for this discipline:  ‘systems engineering,’ and that’s when I found Stevens. And so far the coursework I’ve taken in systems engineering has been a perfect fit– this is what I want to do.”  Toni is being sponsored by the Arnold Engineering Development Center located at Arnold AFB near Tullahoma, TN, who have agreed to hire her when she completes her Systems Engineering degree.

The application deadline for the 2010 SMART Scholar Program is December 15.   To learn more, and apply, click here.

Learn about other Fellowship and Awards opportunities at Stevens. 

Photo:  2009 SMART Cohort in front of an F-16 in Monterey, CA, during Summer Orientation.