Aerospace Association to Present UA Engineering Student with Scholarship Friday

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Justin Anderson, a junior from Louisville, Ky., studying aerospace engineering and mechanics at The University of Alabama, is the recipient of the 2012 Rockwell Collins Scholarship awarded by the Aerospace States Association.

Alabama Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey, an ASA vice chair, will present Anderson with his scholarship during a 10 a.m. ceremony Friday in H.M. Comer Hall, room 149. She will make brief remarks as will Dr. Charles L. Karr, dean of the College of Engineering.

The annual scholarship is sponsored by Rockwell Collins, a provider of aviation and information technology systems and services, and it is awarded to college students focused on a possible career in the aerospace industry.

In his application, Anderson wrote his interest in the aerospace field began as an 11-year-old, inspired by the movie Apollo 13. For the past two summers Anderson worked for the Asphalt Institute in Lexington, Ky., helping test properties of different asphalts. The work helped him gain valuable experience in research, he said.

He also maintained a perfect grade point average, and he is a member of Phi Eta Sigma honors society. Besides his studies, Anderson has volunteered to help rebuild homes affected by the tornado outbreak across Alabama in April 2011.

He is the son of Mike and Sherrie Anderson of Louisville, Ky.

The ASA is a special industry collaborative initiative of the National Lt. Governors’ Association. It is a nonpartisan organization of Lt. Governors and other top-ranking state leaders from every state.

An integral part of the mission of the Aerospace States Association is to “support and develop initiatives that significantly enhance student and teacher education in space and aeronautics.”

In light of that component of the mission statement, ASA established a national scholarship program that annually awards scholarships to two students pursuing an aerospace-related education. The scholarships are awarded in the amount of $1,500 each.

Rockwell Collins is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. As a leading technology company with operations in Alabama, Rockwell Collins has been and continues to be an active business partner in ASA.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has more than 3,900 students and more than 110 faculty. In the last eight years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater, Hollings, Portz and Truman scholars.