In response to the ongoing pandemic, the Manufacturing and Sterilization for COVID-19 (MASC) Initiative was launched at Penn State in March. With more than 350 researchers contributing, the initiative is focused on designing and delivering rapidly scalable solutions and generating tangible impact, particularly within the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Focus Area: Engineering Initiatives
Engineers are problem-solvers, and we believe the world needs more
of them.
Engineering students 3D print PPE for their families on the front lines, including masks and no-touch door openers
“One of the main appeals of the Clark Scholars program for me was community service,” said Rajesh. “I really wanted to give back. Before the pandemic, I wasn’t able to give back in a way that was unique to me. But now I feel like I am really putting my engineering skills to use for good and giving back to the community.”
Engineers Create Solutions for a Crisis
University of Maryland engineering faculty and students who faced the shuttering of their campus labs to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are now repurposing them to meet the urgent needs of first responders and medical professionals fighting the virus on the front lines.
These 17 Maryland biotech companies are collaborating in the fight against COVID-19
Children’s National Hospital was listed among 17 biotech companies in Maryland that are developing COVID-19 solutions.
Uniting expertise with empathy to help students thrive in college
While serving as director of composition for Virginia Tech’s Department of English, Sheila Carter-Tod learned that several graduates from a high school in Newport News who had high academic accolades and test scores felt unprepared for the university’s expectations in a first-year writing course.
She came up with an innovative plan to help.
Georgia Tech Responds to Covid-19
The battle against Covid-19 is a worldwide challenge unlike any in living memory. The Georgia Tech community has joined the fight, contributing our expertise, innovation, and indomitable spirit to the effort.
Seven Clark School student teams build E-bikes that can travel 125 miles on a single charge – powering past the current range on the market
Seven Clark School student teams build E-bikes that can travel 125 miles on a single charge – powering past the current range on the market
Grants Roundup, Penn State College of Engineering
$15 million to the Penn State College of Engineering to endow the A. James Clark Scholars Program, which will provide scholarships to high-achieving engineering students with financial need.
Engineering Initiatives
Engineers are Problem-Solvers
A. James Clark never forgot that his business success began with an engineering scholarship. As his company grew, so did his dedication to fostering the growth and development of tomorrow’s engineering leaders. Today, our Foundation continues Mr. Clark’s legacy of investing in engineering scholarship through support of engineering education at several colleges and universities. From expanding access to students who could not otherwise afford a world-class engineering degree, to improving facilities and recruiting the best faculty, we invest to ensure that tomorrow’s engineers are equipped to solve society’s toughest problems.
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A. James Clark Scholars
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University of Maryland
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Engineering Pipeline
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A. James Clark Scholars
As part of our dedication to the engineers of the future, the Foundation established the A. James Clark Scholars Program. The Clark Scholars Program has been implemented at eleven of the nation’s top engineering institutions, financially supporting students of need who exhibit strong academic and leadership potential.
Investments to Date
$205,800,000+
committed to 11 Clark Scholar universities
475+
Scholars enrolled in fall 2023
Building Together: An Investment for Maryland
The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation’s $219.5 million investment is the largest in University of Maryland history and ranks among the largest to a public research institution in the 21st century.
This transformative investment will propel UMD and the A. James Clark School of Engineering to the forefront of education and research worldwide by funding an array of scholarships and fellowships, professorships, and operational and capital projects.
This investment will increase college access and affordability, spark innovations that tackle the daunting problems facing the nation and the world, and inspire the next generation of engineering leaders.
Investments to Date
$223,900,000+
invested in the University of Maryland
586
undergraduate and graduate students supported through scholarships
$179,400,000+
invested in the Clark School of Engineering
Our investments in scholarships, facilities and faculty are helping to bolster the sustainable growth of the Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland.
$39,100,000+
leveraged for the Maryland Promise Program
Our $25,000,000 commitment has helped the University of Maryland to secure new funding for need-based scholarships.
Engineering Pipeline
We believe lack of financial means should not stop anyone from pursuing an engineering degree. Our investments in scholarships, STEM, and other academic programs ensure that students are ready to study engineering at the university level.
Investments to Date
$17,900,000+
invested in college scholarships and programs supporting students underrepresented in engineering education
Engineering Grantee News
Introducing the Clark Scholars Program Network
The University of Maryland today announced that its A. James Clark School of Engineering will become the permanent home of a multi-university program that provides holistic support to exceptionally talented students with financial need, thanks to a $20.6 million investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.
Thurgood Marshall College Fund to Host MetaScholars at The Pitch 2022
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), with support from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, announced today the newly-formed MetaScholars program.
$15.5 Million Endowment Created For Engineering Scholarship Program
Penn State announced its largest university match to a private philanthropic gift Monday, partnering with the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation to provide a $15.5 million scholarship endowment program for engineering students. Penn State matched an intial donation from the Clark Foundation by adding $10 million to the endowment.
Clark Foundation Celebrates Next Generation of Innovators; Class of 2022 Graduating Clark Scholars
“It’s such an honor to see these graduating Clark Scholars carry on my father’s legacy,” said Courtney Clark Pastrick, Board Chair of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.
National Institute For Student Success Receives $1.7 Million Grant from A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation
ATLANTA–Georgia State University’s National Institute for Student Success (NISS) has received a $1.7 million investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation to assist universities around the country in starting programs to continue to close achievement gaps and help more students earn a college degree.
N.C. A&T engineering school receives $1M donation from Clark Foundation
The College of Engineering at North Carolina A&T University’ has received a $1 million investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.
Featured Grantee
University of Maryland Clark Doctoral Fellows
When Raquel Hakes Weston-Dawkes was considering doctoral programs, she knew one thing for certain: “I wanted to study wildfires,” she says now, having earned her Ph.D. in engineering. For many doctoral candidates, however, the subjects they most want to pursue and the availability of funding to support their education do not always line up. Too […]
EngineerGirl
The EngineerGirl Ambassadors program, launched by the National Academy of Engineering on International Women’s Day 2018, invites high school girls with an interest in and understanding of engineering to share their talents with younger girls in their community. Sophie, a high school student from Pasadena, CA, was chosen as an EngineerGirl Ambassador in the 2019 […]
Additional Grantees
Penn State to Launch Clark Scholars Program Via $15.5M Gift, $10M Match
Penn State University (PSU) will begin a need-based program this fall to financially support underrepresented engineering students with a $15.5 million donation and an additional institutional match of $10 million.
The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation recently committed the donation to create the A. James Clark Scholars Program in the Penn State College of Engineering to support high-achieving engineering students with significant financial need. PSU then added to that, in what is its largest match to a private philanthropic gift in the university’s history.