Ohio Wesleyan is being recognized for the power and potential of its STEM program with a $500,000 grant from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation. The Austin E. Knowlton Memorial Scholarship will support scholarships for OWU students pursuing science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degrees. The new scholarship is designed to provide financial support to STEM students from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, or Michigan.
Ohio Wesleyan will receive $100,000 from the Cincinnati, Ohio-based Knowlton foundation during each of the next five years all to be awarded to qualified STEM students. In addition to the new scholarship, OWU has received funding from the foundation since 2012 to support the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation Endowed Scholarship to benefit students pursuing degrees in mathematics or related fields. “Ohio Wesleyan is defining what it means to be a liberal arts university in the STEM era,” said OWU President Matt vandenBerg, Ed.D. “This investment from the Knowlton Foundation strengthens our ability to develop not only STEM talent, but STEM leaders – graduates prepared to innovate with purpose, think across disciplines, and tackle the world’s biggest challenges with both technical expertise and human understanding.”
OWU offers merit scholarships ranging from $15,000 to full-tuition, with students receiving an average of $45,000 in scholarships and aid. To learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s STEM-related majors and scholarship opportunities, visit our Academic Majors and Minors and Scholarships webpages.
The Knowlton Construction Company designed and built over 600 construction projects throughout Ohio and the Midwest, including five facilities on Ohio Wesleyan’s campus. The Knowlton Foundation was established in 1981 to advance higher education and to provide direct grants to colleges and universities. The new scholarship strengthens OWU’s commitment to making STEM education accessible to students across the Midwest, ensuring that talented students can pursue rigorous science and technology programs without prohibitive financial barriers.
OWU Sponsoring Organization/Office: Office of Sponsored Research and Projects
Contact: Susan Zimmerman at grants@owu.edu