uly 25, 2012 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Safety Educational Memorial Fund Committee awarded scholarships to four students who have exhibited academic excellence and great interest in rescue, fire and life safety and engineering. The scholarships are awarded each year to recognize students for their pursuit of careers in these fields.
Sophia Wu, the recipient of the Arthur E. Cote Scholarship, is an undergraduate fire protection engineering student at the University of Maryland. She has been interested in fire protection since researching the response by engineers to the collapse of the World Trade Center during her senior year of high school. Wu has interned in the Fire Division Engineering Labs at NIST the past three years. Her immediate career goals are to work on elevator research and ways to help make them fireproof to allow evacuation during emergencies. She plans to continue her education at the graduate level in Fire Protection Engineering. This scholarship was established in 2006 in honor of Cote’s retirement from NFPA and is awarded to recognize and offer support for undergraduate students pursuing careers in fire protection engineering.
Thomas Lindemann is the recipient of the David B. Gratz Scholarship. He is pursuing a master’s degree in science in rescue engineering at Cologne University in Germany. Lindemann also holds a master’s degree certificate in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland. Upon completing his master’s degree, he plans to pursue a doctorial degree in the field of fire protection engineering with his dissertation on performance measurement of fire departments. The David B. Gratz scholarship is awarded to recognize the growth of fire science and fire engineering programs.
Justin Biller, an online graduate student in fire protection engineering at Cal Poly State University, is the recipient of the John L. Jablonsky Scholarship. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology from Old Dominion University and an associate in applied science architectural engineering technology degree from John Tyler Community College. Biller is currently a senior fire protection engineer for AECOM, a global engineering company. He has also served as fire inspector and plans examiner for the Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office. The John L. Jablonsky Scholarship is awarded to recognize the growth of fire science and fire engineering programs.
Daniel Akerman is the recipient of the George D. Miller Scholarship. He is currently pursuing a master’s of arts degree in the Strategic Communication & Leadership Program at the University of West Florida and has been a member of the fire service the past 16 years. Akerman is currently a lieutenant in Escambia County, Florida where he supervises a ladder company and oversees all public education activities for the county. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a youth and continues to volunteer for Boy Scouts of America. The George D. Miller Scholarship was established in honor of the former NFPA president and CEO and is awarded to students in fire service or public administration programs.
For additional information regarding NFPA scholarship program, please contact Christine Ellis at +1 617 984-7244.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.