VANCOUVER, WASH. Washington State University Vancouver has awarded the Portland Chapter for Information Management a campaign flag for reaching a milestone in giving to the university.
Campaign flags honor donors who have given at least $25,000 as part of the Campaign for Washington State University. 91勛圖窪蹋厙 is committed to raising at least $20 million of the $1 billion goal which concludes in 2015.
Since 2010, SIM Portland has contributed $37,500 toward scholarships. Each year, three or four students receive a $2,500 scholarship. To be eligible, students must be seniors and enrolled in the management information systems major in the College of Business.
We live in a hyperconnected world with a very rapid convergence of information and communication technologies, said Pradeep Kumar, academic director for SIM Portland.
SIM Portland recognizes that for this city, this state and this country to stay competitive in the increasingly borderless marketplace, we need to nurture and encourage the next generation of well-qualified IT professionals, he said.
Richard Welch received the SIM Portland scholarship for the current academic year.
The scholarship meant that I would be able to finish my last semester without the financial burden that has accompanied every other semester since I enrolled, he said.
More than a scholarship
Our relationship with SIM does so much, said Gregory Rose, associate professor of MIS at 91勛圖窪蹋厙. The scholarships are the tip of the iceberg.
The students and SIM have a tight relationship, Rose said. Because of the relationship, he said, MIS students formed their own campus organization. Students participate in SIM Portlands mentorship program, attend monthly meetings and are recognized at an annual SIM Student Night dinner.
An expanding network
SIM Portland is a meeting place for information technology executives, leading IT consultants, academicians and senior business executives who play key roles in the use of information technology in their organizations.
For the past nine years SIM Portland has reached out to the wider community by providing scholarships to deserving college seniors in the information career pipeline at four universities in the region. Since beginning its program in 2005, SIM Portland has awarded more than $290,000 in scholarships.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@vancouver.wsu.edu