RoyOMartin and the Martin Foundation have completed three years of funding $6,000 to engineering technology scholarships at Northwestern State University. Scholarships are awarded to two students each academic year, one for an entering freshman focused on Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) or Industrial Engineering Technology (IET). The second is for a senior focused on EET or IET. Both students must reside in the 10-parish area served by the Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, which includes Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon and Winn parishes.

“We are extremely grateful to RoyOMartin and the Martin Foundation for their continued support of NSU’s Engineering Technology programs,” said Drake Owens, executive director of the NSU Foundation. “Enrollment continues to increase in our programs which is helping to meet the demand for technologists in the equipment, quality control, process control and other applied engineering fields. Our students are not only equipped with applied engineering skills but are also prepared with the soft skills and management abilities required to lead in high performance organizations such as RoyOMartin.”

Northwestern State’s Engineering Technology programs prepare professional technologists who are essential to successful organizations that provide a rich suite of economic benefits to communities and the nation, Owens said.

RoyOMartin has a land base of 570,000 acres of prime southern pine and fine hardwoods throughout Louisiana, made up of tracts from 20 acres to more than 10,000 acres in size. This natural-resource base supports two state-of-the-art manufacturing operations in Louisiana. The company employs approximately 1,100 contributing team members. The Martin Foundation supports education through workforce development, scholarships for RoyOMartin employees and children, support of local schools and public colleges and timber-related programs.

“At RoyOMartin, we are focused on economic growth and environmental stewardship,” said Carole Baxter, Martin Foundation president. “By continually investing in our current and future employees, we improve our integrated manufacturing systems in a way that creates a dynamic and sustainable business model for future generations and our own long-term national interests. Northwestern State University’s Engineering Technology programs have a proven record of educating quality individuals who are prepared to make an immediate impact in a 21st century manufacturing organization and enter the supervisor-training program.”
From left are NSU Foundation Executive Director Drake Owens, Tiffany Chasteen, assistant director of NSU Development; Jill Bankston, associate director of Development, Roy O. Martin III and Carole Baxter, Martin Foundation president.