Ohio Northern University has received a $1 million scholarship grant from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation to support students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).
Under the agreement, ONU will distribute $200,000 a year in each of the next five years to qualified students with financial need from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan.
“This is a wonderful affirmation of the value and return on an investment of an ONU degree and our excellence in STEM education,” said ONU President Melissa J. Baumann, Ph.D. “We appreciate the Knowlton Foundation’s generosity and ongoing support. We look forward to putting these resources to work for our students.”
An earlier grant from the Cincinnati-based foundation provides support for ONU engineering students.
The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation established the scholarships in honor of its founder and namesake. Austin E. "Dutch" Knowlton was an entrepreneur and philanthropist. His Knowlton Construction Company, founded in Bellefontaine, Ohio was responsible for 600 projects across the Midwest including schools, hospitals, libraries, and several buildings on ONU’s campus.