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writ@umn.edu


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Scholarships

Victoria Mikelonis Undergraduate Memorial Fund In Scientific & Technical Communication

Victoria Mikelonis To apply for the $200 Victoria Mikelonis Undergraduate award send a letter expressing your interest and goals in scientific and technical communication and an unofficial copy of your transcript to writ@umn.edu. Please include “Mikelonis Scholarship” in the subject line of your email. Your application letter should be limited to one page. The winning student will be asked to write a thank you letter explaining how the funds will be used to support his or her education. This letter will be shared with everyone who donated to the Mikelonis fund. If you would prefer to submit your application materials in person, you may submit them to the Department of Writing Studies, Mary Wrobel, 170B Wesbrook Hall.

2008-09 Application Deadline is Friday, February 6, 2009

Professor Victoria Mikelonis is fondly remembered by her colleagues, students, friends, and family for her profound commitment to scientific and technical communication and rhetorical studies. She was a faculty member in the former Department of Rhetoric from 1980 until her death in 2007.
Vickie served in many roles over the years, but always with an eye toward challenging and encouraging her students. Her work is defined by her keen interest in the role of Rhetoric in drawing people together across cultures and national boundaries. Vickie’s deep dedication to her students was most evident in her years as director of the department’s Scientific and Technical Communication undergraduate program and her leadership in the Society for Technical Communication (STC) student chapter.

The Mikelonis Award offers a $200 award every year to an exceptional undergraduate student whose academic pursuits reflect a commitment to scientific and technical communication, rhetorical studies, and/or intercultural communication. (Suggested uses are books and a membership in the STC student chapter.) The award is presented in recognition of Professor Mikelonis’s leadership, commitment, and her tremendous contributions to the University of Minnesota with the hope that the student will continue to build on Professor Mikelonis’s work.


Medtronic Technical Communication Scholarship (New deadline!)

2009-10

Medtronic is the world’s leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. Medtronic’s mission is to contribute to human welfare by application of biomedical engineering in the research, design, manufacture, and sale of instruments or appliances that alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. To better serve our diverse clinician customers and their patients worldwide, Medtronic strives for a diverse workforce.  Medtronic also has a commitment to contribute to the advancement of education. Helping students to fully realize their potential supports Medtronic in developing a diverse workforce and, ultimately, in fulfilling the corporate mission.

Award

To provide a $2,000 scholarship award to undergraduate student(s) who are majoring in the field of Scientific and Technical Communication (S&TC).  The award may be given to a freshman and may be continued for four years if the student makes satisfactory progress toward a B. S. degree.  (Sophomores and juniors may apply as well and seniors with at least two semesters of full-time coursework remaining.)

Criteria

The recipient(s) shall be studying toward a major in Scientific and Technical Communication with a minimum 3.0 GPA.  The award may be renewable for additional years while the student is pursuing the degree, however, students are required to apply each year for continued funding.  Members of underrepresented ethnic or racial minorities are encouraged to apply, however, the scholarship is open to any S&TC major.  Application and an interview are required.  Medtronic will select the final recipient from candidates approved by the college.

Deadlines for 2009-10

New deadline: March 11, 2009

Application Process

  1. Apply on the CLA Scholarship Site:  http://scholarships.cla.umn.edu/ by January 30, 2009 if you want to be considered for all CLA scholarships.  This step is not required.
  2. Send a letter of application to the Medtronic Technical Communication Scholarship Committee along with a current copy of your University of Minnesota transcript (unofficial copy is fine) by March 11, 2009.  In this letter of application, explain why you chose Scientific and Technical Communication as your major course of study, state your goals for your career, and describe how this scholarship would help you maintain progress toward your degree.  Send these materials to:

Department of Writing Studies, U of MN
Attn: Mary Wrobel
170B Wesbrook Hall
77 Pleasant St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

OR send them electronically to wrobe005@umn.edu.

For more information contact: Mary Wrobel in the Department of Writing Studies (wrobe005@umn.edu or 612-624-4761).

 

Society for Technical Communication (STC) Scholarships

The Society for Technical Communication sponsors fourteen scholarships of $2,000 each for school tuition and expenses. Seven awards are granted to graduate students and seven to undergraduate students. Full-time undergraduate students who have completed at least one year of a post-secondary education studying communication of information about technical subjects, and who have at least one year of study to complete their degree are eligible to apply. Applications must be postmarked by February 15 of the year for which they will be granted. Please see http://www.stc.org/scholarship_info.asp for more information and for an application form.

The local STC chapter (www.stctc.org) also offers scholarships annually to students.  Check their Web site for details and the latest information.

 

Scholarships in CLA

For information about the scholarships available in CLA, check their Website: http://cla.umn.edu/honors/schollnk.htm.

 

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
The goal of UROP is to help you become involved in research and creative activity to stimulate your mind, broaden your perspectives, expand your intellectual and social networking and strengthen your connections to the University of Minnesota community, as well as the research and creative communities nationally and throughout the world.

UROP provides stipends of up to $1400 and research expenses of up to $300 for undergraduate students working with a University of Minnesota Faculty Mentor. Full-time (enrolled for ≥6 credits) undergraduates enrolled in any college on any campus are eligible to apply.