New Pratt & Whitney scholars program to benefit UConn engineering students

Pratt & Whitney announced a $1.25 million investment to help build a diverse workforce for the future, through the creation of The Pratt & Whitney Scholars Program to benefit University of Connecticut (UConn) Engineering students.

The Scholars Program, a scholarship designed for underrepresented minorities, will provide four cohorts of five students with $10,000 per year for four years; a summer internship opportunity at Pratt & Whitney after their sophomore year; a senior design project sponsored by Pratt & Whitney during their senior year; and professional development and mentorship opportunities.

Applications for the first cohort of students are open and can be found here. Awardees will be announced in early January 2022. Additional freshman cohorts will be identified each fall until 2024.

This new program builds upon more than 30 years of support that Pratt & Whitney and parent company Raytheon Technologies have invested in diversity programs at UConn, including the decades-long BRIDGE program, a five-week summer residential program designed to help women and underrepresented minorities entering their freshman year at UConn Engineering.

“The new Pratt & Whitney Scholars Program with UConn School of Engineering will serve the diverse communities and schools where we live and work,” said Maureen Waterston, vice president and Chief Human Resources Officer at Pratt & Whitney. “With this scholarship, we look forward to providing mentorship and support to 20 diverse engineering students. At Pratt & Whitney we are committed to building a diverse workforce with access for all as we continue to inspire the future generations of innovators.”

Kazem Kazerounian, Dean of the UConn School of Engineering, applauded Pratt & Whitney for their new investment and was excited for the future of the Scholars program.

“Pratt & Whitney has been a key partner with the UConn School of Engineering as we train and graduate the next generation of leaders,” Kazerounian said. “These new Pratt & Whitney Scholars will be a shining example of the best and brightest our school has to offer.

”The Scholars program will be embedded in the newly launched Vergnano Institute for Inclusion at UConn, launched in 2021.