Raytheon Intelligence & Space gifts $250,000 fellowship endowment
University of Colorado Boulder to rename research lab in recognition of gift
An employee works atRaytheon Intelligence & Space, whose Space & C2 systems line is hiring for 155 positions in Colorado. Photo courtesy of RI&S.
Learn more about the partnership
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, a Raytheon Technologies business, and the University of Colorado Boulder announced today the creation of the Raytheon Technologies Endowed Graduate Fellowship Fund. The $250,000 endowment will support top graduate students at the university’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.
“The next generation of engineers are the key to continuing our robust space solutions offerings,” said Paul Meyer, vice president, Space & C2 Systems at RI&S. “The partnership with Boulder is a critical step toward supporting future innovation in the aerospace and defense arena.”
The fund provides fellowship support toward tuition, fees and activities that aid in learning or professional development for selected graduate students in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences. Fellowship awards are for one academic year and will begin in fall 2021.
“I cannot overstate the importance of graduate fellowships in enabling our Smead Aerospace faculty to recruit the top students,” said Brian Argrow, department chair. “ Boulder brings together world-renowned faculty, unparalleled research opportunities and an incredible facility, and Raytheon Technologies’ partnership provides one more tool that allows us to compete for the best students.”
In recognition of the endowment, the Vision, Autonomy and Decision Research lab, or VADeR, will be renamed the Raytheon Intelligence & Space VADeR Lab.
Associate Professor Marcus Holzinger, who directs the lab, said the partnership provides inspiration to graduate students interested in space domain awareness, a burgeoning field focused on detecting, tracking and characterizing objects in space.
Knowing exactly what is in orbit has important implications for diplomacy, defense and commercial usage of space, especially as space launches and satellite deployments continue to increase.
“This isn’t just an investment in the lab or in Boulder,” Holzinger said. “It’s an investment in the whole field of study. We need more people who are outstanding in this area, and Raytheon Technologies’ gift allows us at Boulder to accelerate that goal.”
RI&S’ Space & C2 Systems product line is headquartered in Aurora, Colorado, and RI&S is currently hiring for 155 positions in the state.