Florida Polytechnic University student Chris Westphalen has been awarded the 2015 Berna Lou Cartwright Scholarship from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Chris, who majors in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering with a concentration in Multifunctional Materials, is a founder of the student chapter of ASME at Florida Poly. The Berna Lou Cartwright Scholarship is valued at $3,000. Criteria for selection included academic performance, character, financial need and membership within the ASME organization.
Chris is a Navy veteran and mid-career student at Florida Poly who left the trucking industry to study for a college degree after experiencing several layoffs. “I was pursuing an A.S. in drafting and design when I found out about Florida Poly, a brand new state university that has a 100 percent STEM curriculum,” he recalls. “I was notified of my acceptance to the College of Engineering shortly after applying.”
Chris eagerly worked to launch a student chapter of ASME, a not-for-profit membership organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, career enrichment and skills development across all engineering disciplines. He considers ASME to be a great networking organization and resource.
ASME has more than 140,000 members in 151 countries. Membership includes 30,000 students. From college students and early-career engineers to project managers, ASME serves the technical community through continuing education, training and professional development, codes and standards, research, conferences and publications, government relations and other forms of outreach.