SCC receives $100,000 from SunEdison for Pre-Engineering Program

Published: 07/22/2013

“We are thankful for SunEdison’s generous gift, especially now, as SCC’s Pre-Engineering Program has expanded in recent years,” said Kasey McKee, SCC vice president for college advancement. “The support of local companies helps SCC to keep tuition affordable so area students can pursue an education for careers that are in-demand.”

A plaque in SunEdison’s honor will be added outside the physics and engineering lab located in SCC’s Administration Building.

“SunEdison is keen to encourage education in science, engineering and technology and we are proud to support St. Charles Community College’s efforts in this area,” said Graham R. Fisher, Ph.D., chief scientist at SunEdison. “The dedication and passion that Professor Dave Niermann brings in guiding students to an engineering career is commendable. His knowledge and experience in the industry provides invaluable additional insight, which he is able to pass on to his students, and in turn makes them more marketable for jobs.”

Dave Niermann, associate professor of pre-engineering and computer-aided drafting, coordinates SCC’s Pre-Engineering Program, which provides up to two years of transfer credit toward a Bachelor of Science degree in various engineering disciplines at four-year institutions. In addition to instruction, SCC students have opportunities to visit universities and companies and to benefit from guest lectures and interaction with local professional engineering societies.

“More than 100 SCC alumni currently are enrolled at various accredited universities, regionally and nationally, including Ivy League universities, and we continually hear from those institutions about how well SCC students perform,” said Niermann. “SCC alumni also are working as professionals in the engineering field for a number of companies, NASA and Boeing to name a couple.”

For more information, visit SCC's Pre-Engineering website or contact Niermann at 636-922-8561 or dniermann@stchas.edu. To learn how to contribute to SCC, contact McKee at 636-922-8472 or kmckee@stchas.edu.

SCC and SunEdison are located in St. Charles County.

The St. Charles Community College Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, raises funds to support student scholarships and educational programs for the college. For more information on the SCC Foundation and its vision to transform lives and strengthen communities, visit www.stchas.edu/foundation.

St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.

SunEdison, formerly MEMC Electronic Materials, is a global leader in semiconductor and solar technology. SunEdison’s semiconductor business has been a pioneer in the design and development of silicon wafer technologies for over 50 years. With R&D and manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, SunEdison enables the next generation of high performance semiconductor devices. SunEdison’s solar business develops, finances, installs and operates distributed power plants, delivering fully managed, predictably priced solar energy services for its commercial, government and utility customers. SunEdison’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SUNE.” For more information about SunEdison, please visit www.sunedison.com.