A West Virginia University graduate who heads an interactive sports broadcasting firm has created a $25,000 endowed scholarship fund for industrial engineering students.
Walter Stender has established the Walt Stender Industrial Engineering Scholarship Fund, the first endowed scholarship fund in the Industrial Management Systems Engineering Department.
“This endowment will provide the much needed resources to offer undergraduate scholarships to students pursuing a degree in industrial engineering,”said Warren Myers, department chairman.”I cannot thank Walt enough for his generosity.”
Preference for the scholarships will be provided to industrial engineering students who have held a part-time or full-time job within 12 months prior to selection.
“I received a scholarship when I attended WVU , and it made a tremendous difference in financing my education,”Stender said.”As an alumnus and corporate executive, I felt it important to give back to my alma mater and help provide an industrial engineering education to current and future students.”
Stender is chairman of the board of Interactive Digital Sports, a Newport Beach, Calif., company developing television broadcast systems that afford viewers new levels of reality while watching sporting events. He was formerly CEO of Savory Telecom Inc.
Born in Annapolis, Md., he obtained a bachelors degree in industrial engineering from WVU in 1976 and is a member of the Universitys Academy of Distinguished Industrial Engineers. He is also a member of the Campaign Leadership Team for the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, an initiative that is raising $22.5 million in support of students, faculty, and facility and program enhancements. He lives in Corona Del Mar, Calif.
The Stender gift has been made in conjunction with the Building Greatness Campaign: West Virginia University, a University-wide initiative being conducted by the WVU Foundation to raise $250 million in private support. The Foundation, a private non-profit corporation, is the designated agency to receive and administer gifts from private individuals and organizations for the benefit of West Virginia University.