PARTNERSHIPS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES for CU ST UDENTS Cameron University’s Office of University Advancement, which oversees the Cameron University Foundation, endowments, fundraising campaigns and more, thrives on developing partnerships with organizations throughout southwest Oklahoma and beyond. Cameron Magazine is pleased to feature some of our recent partnerships and how they benefit students. RAYTHEON MISSILES & DEFENSE PROVIDES FUNDING FOR CU MILITARY SPOUSE PROGRAM. The CU Foundation received a $10,000 grant from Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a business of Raytheon Technologies, to provide funding for military spouses looking to pursue a college education. The pilot program offers aid to military spouses who are pursuing college degrees. Under the program, scholarships have been made available for the 2021-2022 academic year. “Raytheon continues to look for innovative and meaningful opportunities to invest in our Lawton/Fort Sill community,” says Nate Jones, a U.S. Army veteran and the Director of Fires Requirements, Capabilities and Solutions at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. “This new program at Cameron University is an ideal way in which we can help military spouses advance their education and career goals.”
The program is designed for military spouses and does not require the spouse to be a full-time student. However, it does require the student to take classes with Cameron University.” Scholarship recipients are paired with a mentor from the USO Transitions Program Team, located on Fort Sill, which is partnering with Raytheon Missiles & Defense and CU to provide additional support.
ENGINEERING PROGRAM AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS PROVIDED BY ARVEST FOUNDATION. CU’s engineering degree program, the only engineering degree program in southwest Oklahoma, received a $10,000 donation from the Arvest Foundation which been used to provide scholarships to Cameron students who are pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Engineering.
David Madigan, President and CEO of Arvest Bank, presented the donation on behalf of the Arvest Foundation. As a trustee of the Fires Innovation Science & Technology Accelerator (FISTA) Development Trust Authority, Madigan understands the increasing need for engineers in southwest Oklahoma and the role that Cameron plays in providing qualified job candidates in that field. FISTA works to attract defense contractors, hightechnology industry, and innovative businesses with capabilities to directly support various units at Fort Sill's Fires Center of Excellence. Providing a pipeline of job-ready, degree-holding 8
CAMERON UNIVERSITY
university graduates is an integral part of FISTA’s ability to do so. “We are proud the Arvest Foundation shares our passion for Cameron University and understands the need for engineers in southwest Oklahoma,” Madigan says. “Being a military community means there are great opportunities for graduates of Cameron’s program. It’s important we keep those talented graduates here to help us continue to grow our region in many different ways.” Since its launch in 2014, CU’s engineering program has produced 54 graduates and expects to add 10 more to that list in May 2022. CU’s program has developed a strong reputation for producing quality engineers who succeed in their chosen career while feeding the Oklahoma engineering pipeline. CU engineering alumni have remained in state for employment and are located throughout southwest Oklahoma at locations including Altus Air Force Base, Goodyear, Henniges Automotive, HIS Sensing, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and Republic Paperboard. Additional alumni have found careers in the Oklahoma City metro area at companies such as Boeing, Cameron Measurements, Leidos and OG&E.
