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HOUGHTON — The FCA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of FCA US LLC has donated $30,000 to create a week-long summer youth program at Michigan Technological University, designed to encourage young women to consider careers in automotive engineering.
Jody Hand, a Michigan Tech alumna and FCA interior engineer, was on the Tech campus Wednesday to present a check that will create the FCA Women in Automotive Engineering Summer Youth Program in July of next year.
The new program will focus on increasing the engineering talent pipeline for women in the automotive industry. The FCA Foundation is the sole sponsor of the summer program and FCA will provide female role model speakers aimed at inspiring young women to become engineers.
Stephen L. Williams, head of safety compliance and product analysis for FCA North America said the donation reflects FCA’s strong commitment to developing a diverse workforce. He said FCA invests in a wide variety of education and training initiatives to help students — especially women and underrepresented minorities— obtain the technical skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) vital to the future.
“Although women purchase 60 percent of all vehicles and influence nearly 85 percent of all car-buying decisions, enrollment of women in baccalaureate engineering programs remains stubbornly low at around 18 percent,” Williams said.
“By Sponsoring the FCA Women in Automotive Engineering Summer Youth Program at Michigan Tech, we hope to encourage promising young women to consider engineering as a field of study and a career in the automotive industry.”
Cody Kangas, director of Tech’s Center for Pre-College Outreach said the WIAE will introduce talented female high school students, with high academic potential in science and math, to careers in automotive engineering. He said students will be exposed to several pivotal topics that make up the field of automative engineering.
“We are grateful to the FCA Foundation for investing in the future of young women,” Kangas said.
“Engineering as a whole is commonly known to be a male-dominated field, thus automotive engineering often becomes overlooked by aspiring young female professionals.”
Kangas said the WIAE serves specifically to engage high-achieving young women to experience the automotive engineering field in a hands-on, discovery-based learning environment with their peers.
“Our goal is to encourage them to consider the immense possibilities that make up the automotive industry.”
Michigan Tech and FCA have a long partnership dating at least back to the 1970s. FCA Has supported a wide range of activities across campus including scholarships, capital projects, senior design and enterprise programs, student organizations, sponsored research, advisory board membership, recruiting support, youth programs, diversity initiatives and more.
FCA US LLC is a North American automaker with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.
FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FCAU” and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol “FCA.”
About the FCA Foundation
Since 1953, the FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of FCA US LLC, has invested more $500 million in charitable organizations and initiatives that help empower people, and build strong, viable communities. The FCA Foundation invests in programs that generate meaningful and measurable societal impacts in the following areas:
- Education – programs that inspire young minds, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM);
- Military – programs that support financial and basic needs of military service members, veterans and their families;
- Multicultural/Diversity – programs that promote inclusion and opportunity for diverse populations; and
- Youth Development – programs that help young people develop the skills and leadership qualities to succeed in school, at work, and in life.
Additionally, FCA US seeks opportunities to support communities through its Motor Citizens® volunteer program. This innovative program enables FCA US salaried employees to use 18 hours of paid time each year to be an Engine for Change by investing their time and talents in community service projects.
Photo cutline: From lect, Craig Friedrich, Professor of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics at Michigan Technogical University, Cody Kangas, Director of the Center for Pre-College Outreach, Jody Hand, a Michigan Tech alumna who is now an engineer with FCA and University President Glenn Mroz pose during a check presentation Wednesday. The FCA Foundation presented the University with $30,000 to create a week-long summer youth program at Technological, designed to encourage young women to consider careers in automotive engineering.
