|
WMU Home > About WMU > WMU News
Foundation to fund permanent paper tech endowmentNov. 15, 2007 KALAMAZOO--The OMNOVA Solutions Foundation has agreed to fund a permanent endowment--the RohmNova Endowed Scholarship--to support paper science and paper engineering students at Western Michigan University. The RohmNova Endowed Scholarship fund will provide scholarships, recruitment and other sustaining activities to support students in the WMU Department of Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Imaging. The OMNOVA Solutions Foundation is the charitable arm of OMNOVA Solutions, a leading, major innovator of decorative and functional surfaces, emulsion polymers, plastic pigments and specialty chemicals. OMNOVA Solutions is also a manufacturer of durable commercial wall coverings, upholstery fabrics and laminates. RohmNova is the result of an alliance between Rohm & Haas and OMNOVA Solutions, offering paper coating formulators an impressive array of materials to achieve superior coating performance. The foundation serves as the company's primary tool for reaching out to communities and has selected education as its highest priority to help motivate the nation's future leaders and workers to gain the desire, knowledge and work-readiness skills required for corporations like OMNOVA. "OMNOVA has been a partner with Western Michigan University for many years," says Theresa Carter, president of OMNOVA Solutions Foundation. "We value the great work that the University does in the paper science and paper engineering program, and we are pleased to fund an endowed scholarship in support of the outstanding students who will have the opportunity to achieve and excel." The endowment is unrestricted and can be used at the sole discretion of the WMU Paper Technology Foundation to benefit the programs of the paper science and paper engineering. Examples include, but are not limited to, scholarships, recruiting efforts and support of graduate students. Scholarships will be awarded to full-time undergraduate students enrolled in the paper science, paper engineering or chemical engineering programs. Those in chemical engineering must select the paper engineering option or minor in the pulp and paper or pollution prevention options. The Paper Technology Foundation will determine the scholarship amount based on the endowment's available spendable dollars. "The Paper Technology Foundation Board of Trustees is extremely pleased that the OMNOVA Solutions Foundation is aligned with and supportive of our mission, which is to provide leadership and support to WMU and the Department of Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Imaging to develop motivated graduates in order to advance the global pulp and paper industry," says John F. Bergin, managing director of the WMU Paper Technology Foundation. Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu WMU News |
