Couple Establishes Rose-Hulman Institute Of Technology Women's Scholarship Fund In Memory Of Late Alumnus

(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)

Cindy and Kurt Kalkomey have set up a scholarship fund to support future women in STEM at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Cindy Thomas Kalkomey and Kurt Kalkomey of Dallas have established a $500,000 scholarship fund supporting women attending one of the nation's top STEM colleges

Cindy and Kurt have made a transformational gift that's helping fuel the next generation of world-changers.” - Robert A. Coons, President, Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTERRE HAUTE, IN, UNITED STATES, February 2, 2023 /einpresswire.com / -- A scholarship fund supporting women students at rose-hulman institute of technology has been established through a $500,000 donation by Cindy Thomas Kalkomey and Kurt Kalkomey in loving memory of her father and late alumnus Charles“Ted” Thomas.

Cindy and Kurt Kalkomey wish to support students attending one of the nation's top colleges for undergraduate stem education with a strong return on investment, as a way of fulfilling the couple's personal mission of helping“give others the opportunity to succeed and live without fear.”

“The impact my father has had on my life wasn't through momentous events or mighty words, but through a consistent, daily example. Dad was probably the most patient person I've known,” said Cindy Thomas Kalkomey.“I can only remember once in my lifetime that I had seen him angry, and that was with a lot of provocation from me. He always saw the best in people and assumed their intentions were good. I can't even recall him ever speaking ill of someone. This quality in him seemed to bring out the best in people when they were around him.”

Cindy Thomas Kalkomey added,“My dad must have received an outstanding engineering education at Rose, because he was always able to explain to me how something worked. I still find myself today, more than 20 years after his death, wishing I had him here to answer my questions.”

Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons stated,“Cindy and Kurt have made a transformational gift that's helping fuel the next generation of world-changers. Our students are getting to experience the best in STEM education because of these philanthropic gifts. Through more donor-supported scholarships, even more students will be impacted in the future.”

Since becoming a coeducational institution in 1995, women students have had a significant impact on rose-hulman's student body , becoming campus leaders, academic award winners, scholars, and contributors to impactful undergraduate research and design projects. Rose-Hulman has added summer programs in recent years to help introduce more high school girls to STEM fields, including a new Rose Power program that's specifically designed for girls who have completed their freshman year in high school.

“The support provided by Cindy and Kurt will further enhance our efforts to help diversify STEM education,” said Steve Brady, vice president for institutional advancement.

A native of Clinton, Indiana, Ted Thomas graduated with high honors in electrical engineering from Rose Polytechnic Institute (now Rose-Hulman) in 1943. He served America in the military as a first and second lieutenant in the 148th battalion of combat engineers from 1943-46, when he was part of World War II's D-Day+4 Normandy Invasion, and a captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1951-53, during the Korean War. In between, Thomas was a member of the Indiana Air National Guard.

Thomas accentuated his engineering skills with a master's degree from Southern Methodist University. His professional career started as a mechanical engineer with Thomas and Skinner in Indianapolis. However, he spent 28 years as an electrical engineer with Texas Instruments' defense systems division, retiring from a technical leadership position in 1986. He settled in the Dallas area with his longtime devoted wife, Grace, a native of Rockville, Indiana, before his death in 1998. The couple had three children, daughters Ann Luedke of Lynchburg, Virginia, and Cindy Kalkomey of Dallas, along with son Terry Thomas of Dallas.

PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABILITY:
Photos of Cindy and Kurt Kalkomey and Ted Thomas are available for use with this story. Contact Dale Long, director of media relations, at or 1-812-877-8418 for more information.

About Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Founded in 1874, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is dedicated to preparing its students with the world's best undergraduate science, engineering and mathematics education in an environment infused with innovation, intellectual rigor, and individualized attention. The institute is consistently recognized nationally as an elite STEM school for distinctions that include faculty excellence, return on investment, value-added, and career services. Career placement is near 100 percent year after year. Located in Terre Haute, Indiana, Rose-Hulman has an enrollment of nearly 2,200 students. Learn more at rose-hulman.edu.

Dale Long
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
+1 812-877-8418

Visit us on social media:
facebook

Media B-roll Video

MENAFN02022023003118003196ID1105517797