Emerson awarded two 2019 ASCO Engineering Scholarships to students who demonstrated outstanding potential for leadership and contributions to the engineering profession — Shiloh Serenity Sigrid Curtis, a senior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Tristan M. Ott, a junior at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T).

Curtis and Ott each received a $5,000 scholarship at an awards ceremony held at Pack Expo and Healthcare Packaging Expo in Las Vegas. Emerson also awarded two grants of $1,000 to benefit the engineering departments of MIT and Missouri S&T.

"Ensuring the success of the next generation of manufacturing leaders is critical to bridging the talent gap facing our industry," said Jay Gatz, vice president of marketing for Emerson’s Automation Solutions business. "We are committed to meeting the needs of the industrial sector through scholarships, partnerships with academia, and innovative competitions, such as our Amazing Packaging Race."

Emerson hosted Curtis and Ott at PACK EXPO where, in addition to receiving their $5,000 Emerson scholarship, they attended "The Amazing Packaging Race," a competition sponsored by Emerson involving college students from across the country. The race concluded at the Emerson booth with prizes for the top teams.

Shiloh Curtis, of Sunnyvale, California, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and computer science. She turned a visit at age 8 to the HomeBrew Robotics Club with her dad into her life’s work, so that today her top interest is robotics. “Robots have immense potential to benefit humans, from helping mobility-challenged individuals with the tasks of daily life to eliminating the boring — so that people can focus on what really matters in life,” Curtis said. She is continuing development of her haptic navigational aid (H-NAV) for the visually impaired, on which she has a patent pending.

Tristan Ott, of Platte City, Missouri, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. He is targeting a career in engineering dedicated to serving others.

Over the past 12 years, $120,000 in scholarships have been awarded to 24 U.S. students. In addition, the engineering departments of the colleges where the recipients are enrolled have received a cumulative $24,000 in grants for education research. The ASCO Engineering Scholarship program is an element of Emerson’s mission to support and inspire the next generation of innovators. The initiative is named for the Emerson brand that pioneered the solenoid valve in 1910.