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�IJʿ������ announces today it has received a $100,000 grant from leading mobility technology company Magna Services of America Inc. to support and enhance its precollege programs, competitive teams and professional development.

“Magna, a global leader in mobility and our longtime co-op partner, recognizes higher education is most effective when it is a collaborative enterprise between institutions and industry,” said �IJʿ������ President Dr. Robert K. McMahan. “This extraordinary gift demonstrates Magna’s commitment to partnering with �IJʿ������ in opening doors for promising high school STEM students, supporting critical robotics programs for young people and creating opportunities for our students to benefit from hands-on learning, competition and mentorship.”

The contribution will be divided equally among the following science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs:

• Academically Interested Minds (AIM)
• Robotics
• Competition teams
• Partners in Learning

“As one of the nation’s preeminent STEM universities, �IJʿ������ has long been a partner of Magna and has helped us move the industry forward thanks to a large alumni base across our organization,” said Ann Costello-McLain, Magna Vice President of Talent and Total Rewards. “With the mobility industry rapidly evolving to an all-electric and connected future, now more than ever it’s imperative that we continue to invest in the skills and training of our future leaders and team members.”

Started in 1984, AIM is a free, five-week, residential precollege summer program for multicultural students in 11th grade who have a strong interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Students enroll in college-level courses to develop their functional, quantitative and qualitative skills. 

“This grant will give �IJʿ������ the opportunity to continue offering top-notch precollege programs and provide underrepresented students with the tools necessary to matriculate successfully through college,” said Ricky Brown, Director of Multicultural Student Affairs. 

An average of between 32 and 36 students participate in the program each summer.

David Ibegbu (’25, Computer Science), whose co-op employer is Magna, enrolled in the AIM program and said it was a “transformative experience.”

“Through this STEM summer camp, I gained exposure to cutting-edge technology and hands-on experience that have enhanced my problem-solving and critical-thinking skills,” he said. “Additionally, AIM has provided me with a supportive and progressive community of diverse peers and mentors who have encouraged me to pursue my passions in STEM and constantly challenged me to strive for more.”

The robotics portion of the grant will support scholarships for students to attend other precollege camps, including Student Leadership Camp; JAVA and Python Programming; Robot Build and Drive; and Aerial Drone. It also will fund hands-on activities with University professors and Co-op Panels in which �IJʿ������ students share their co-op experiences to underscore the benefits of pursuing a STEM degree.

“The Robotics Community Center at �IJʿ������ is grateful for the support Magna has extended as we partner to expose more students to STEM and encourage them to pursue STEM careers,” said Kim Shumaker, Robotics Community Center and Robotics Outreach Director.

The University has competitive teams for the following:

• Combat Robotics
• Esports
• Intelligent Ground Vehicle
• EV Kartz
• SAE AutoDrive
• Baja SAE
• Formula SAE
• SAE Aero
• Shell Eco Marathon
• Clean Snowmobile

The Magna grant will establish a new Hardware in the Loop (HIL) lab to support SAE student projects and work. HIL tests systems, specifically software on test benches with real hardware components instead of a simulation.

“The new HIL lab from Magna is valuable for our students because it introduces the issues experienced with real hardware that may not always be incorporated in simulation,” said Dr. Diane Peters, AutoDrive faculty adviser. “Since it’s a test bench as opposed to the entire system, students can test one element of a system at a time, which is both easier and more helpful in figuring out where problems are.”

In addition, the grant money will be used as partial funding for a graduate student to support the AutoDrive team; as partial sponsorship of the Baja, Formula and Aero teams; and as sponsorship for other competitive University teams.

“It’s really important to have grad students working on the team,” Peters said. “As they get deeply involved in their graduate research work, they can focus on key technical problems and use techniques the undergraduates may not have yet been exposed to.”

For the past 20 years, �IJʿ������ has hosted Partners in Learning sessions and workshops with Magna employees to provide training and collaboration focused on the following: 

• Hiring and retention
• Work plan development
• Effective evaluations
• Culminating the undergraduate experience
• Company best practices

These workshops have helped develop and implement a cohesive and best-practice co-op program between Magna and �IJʿ������, and the latest investment will continue to strengthen these programs.