Undergraduate Scholarship Fund

Traveling full circle

The Association of MIT Retirees established the Undergraduate Scholarship Fund in 2006 to express our appreciation to MIT and the many colleagues, mentors and friends who enriched our experiences and deepened our connection to the Institute. While we gratefully acknowledge our history, we also wish to contribute to MIT's future excellence through this scholarship fund which will provide financial assistance to an undergraduate student's life and learning.

We hope that this fund reminds scholarship recipients that financial aid at MIT relies upon many generous donors who give out of their affection for MIT and who care deeply about students.

Gifts

Donations will be used by MIT for undergraduate student financial assistance in accordance with MIT scholarship assistance policies and procedures, with preference for students who are direct descendants or family members of retired MIT employees.

Click here to download a donation form.

Gifts in appreciation, celebration or memory

All gifts of any size are appreciated. Donations may be made to commemorate or recognize a current or retired MIT colleague, mentor or friend or to celebrate a personal or professional milestone or achievement.This fund provides an opportunity for families and friends to share in the permanent expression of remembrance and appreciation. Contributions also may be made without a specific designation.

• Appreciate: a current or retired MIT colleague, mentor or friend
• Commemorate: a deceased MIT colleague, mentor or friend
• Celebrate: a milestone or achievement
• In Support of: an MIT undergraduate student

Click here for a list of those honored or remembered with a gift by our generous donors.

Scholarship Recipients

Since the fund's inception in 2006, MIT's Student Financial Services has awarded five scholarships.

The first award was made in the spring of 2008 to Laura Harris ‘08, granddaughter of retired Lincoln Laboratory employee Paul J. Harris.  Laura was a Course VI (Computer Science) major from Clifton Park, NY, who worked on a UROP developing vision capabilities for a robotic arm.

A second scholarship was awarded in the winter of 2008 to Mary A. Hatch ‘09, from McMurray, PA.  After finishing her undergraduate education, she planned to enroll in medical school and specialize in both psychology and linguistics.  Mary’s grandfather, Charles E. Muehe, Jr. ‘52, was an employee at Lincoln Lab for 34 years.

Elizabeth H. Bellocchio, ‘10, a senior from Haverhill, MA, was named the 2009 MIT Retirees recipient. Elizabeth is the great-granddaughter of Karl Taylor Compton, MIT president 1930-49. Elizabeth studied abroad last semester (spring ‘09) through the International Honors Program, which took her to Brazil, South Africa, and Vietnam to study city growth and urban issues. She worked on a UROP for Professor Annette Kim which entailed traveling to Vietnam to study street life and sidewalk use in Ho Chi Minh City. She plans to pursue a career in urban planning.

Charlotte A. Clark ’14, a freshman from Pittsburgh, PA, was named the 2010 and 2011 scholarship recipient. Charlotte is the granddaughter of William H. Ramsey ’51 (Course 6, Electrical Engineering) who was the director of special engineering programs including Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) and the Engineering Internship Program. Charlotte is interested in becoming a robotics engineer, specifically with programming and software. Describing why she selected MIT, Charlotte said, “I wanted to challenge myself further by going to a school that is known for being extremely hard in its course load. I am pretty sure that I want to major in electrical engineering and computer science. I would also like to study French and Spanish, and also learn Japanese.” To maximize her MIT experience, Charlotte plans to join the crew team and participate in community service projects.

Recognition of those honored

The scholarship recipient will be notified that a portion of his/her financial aid package derives from the MIT Retirees Undergraduate Scholarship Fund. The recipient will also be encouraged to visit this site to learn about those honored.