Wayne Pferdehirt Memorial Scholarship

The Wayne Pferdehirt Memorial Scholarship honors the lasting impact of Wayne Pferdehirt, a visionary faculty associate and program director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Wayne’s contagious enthusiasm, deep commitment to student advancement, and passion for engineering excellence left an enduring mark on our community.

In 1998, Wayne was part of the team that developed the University’s first fully online degree, the Master of Engineering in Professional Practice (MEPP), now known as the Master of Science in Engineering Management (EM). As one of the first online engineering graduate degrees in the nation, the MEPP program became a benchmark for other institutions and programs to follow.

Graduate students in the Master of Science in Engineering Management program may apply for the Wayne Pferdehirt Memorial Scholarship. This award is intended for students who demonstrate a commitment to community service and/or mentoring in honor of Wayne’s legacy.

Learn more about Wayne Pferdehirt: https://engineering.wisc.edu/news/passionate-epd-educator-innovator-wayne-pferdehirt-passes-away/

Award

This is a renewable $2,600 scholarship, awarded per semester.
Up to three awards may be granted each semester.
Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 2 credit hours each semester to be eligible.
Recipients must reapply each semester for continued consideration.

Important: Recipients are notified before the semester begins, but scholarship funds are posted to the student’s Bursar account after the final drop deadline. Students must pay tuition by standard University due dates.

Qualifications

The scholarship is awarded to individuals who embody traits aligned with Wayne’s spirit, including:

• A dedication to mentoring others
• Service to their community
• A passion for engineering excellence

Preference may be given to applicants who:

• Receive no funding from other sources, and/or
• Work for a nonprofit, and/or
• Are late-career changers

Eligibility

The scholarship is available to students pursuing the Master of Science in Engineering Management.

Wisconsin residents and non-residents are eligible and encouraged to apply.

• Prospective Students
  Prospective students must submit a completed application to the UW–Madison Graduate School (program admission) in addition to the scholarship application.
• Current Students
  Current students must have at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA from their master’s program coursework to be eligible.

Application, Notification, and Disbursement Timeline
This scholarship is administered by the department and follows the timeline below.

1. Application
   Prospective and current students may submit a scholarship application by the posted application deadline. Applications submitted after the deadline may not receive full consideration. Students who have not yet been admitted to the Engineering Management MS program must also submit a full Graduate School application to be eligible.
2. Award Notification (Before the Semester Begins)
   Scholarship recipients will be notified of their award status before classes start, so students can plan their enrollment accordingly.
3. Tuition Payment Responsibility (Standard University Deadlines Apply)
   This scholarship is administered independently of the University Bursar’s Office at the time tuition is billed. Students are responsible for making tuition and fee payments according to standard University deadlines at the start of the semester, regardless of scholarship status.
4. Scholarship Disbursement (After the Final Drop Deadline)
   Scholarship funds will be disbursed after the semester’s final deadline to drop classes. After that drop deadline, the department will apply the scholarship award directly to the student’s Bursar account.

Policy Notice
This policy supersedes all previous versions of this scholarship description and is subject to change.