News Announcement
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Cheryl L. Kight - Vice President, Marketing

Columbus, August 2008

$50,000 BATTELLE GRANT TO SUPPORT TWENTY-ONE SCHOLARSHIPS –
SCHOLARS HONORED AT AUGUST LUNCHEON

Battelle, the Columbus international science and technology enterprise, has provided a gift of $50,000 to the recently completed annual campaign of The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC).  The funds will support twenty-one central Ohio scholars enrolled for the 2008-2009 academic year at OFIC member colleges and universities and majoring in Electrical Engineering, Biology or Accounting or majoring in Education with a focus on math, science or technology.

The scholars were honored at an August 7 luncheon on the Battelle Columbus campus.  Mary Duchi, Battelle Vice President, Operations Systems Services, led a tour of the facility, presented the scholars with certificates and spoke to guests about Battelle’s founding on the premises of contract research and making the world a better place.  “The thrust of Battelle’s interest in education,” she said, “is to utilize our extensive networks and relationships to be a catalyst for change and to join with other like-minded private sector organizations in moving our nation’s education progress forward.  Supporting education is one of Battelle’s founding purposes, and we are proud to collaborate with the OFIC.”

Battelle is an international science and technology enterprise that explores emerging areas of science, develops and commercializes technology, and manages laboratories for customers, overseeing more than 20,000 employees world-wide.  The company supports community and education programs to promote an enhanced quality of life and has partnered with OFIC for nearly 45 years to provide Ohio’s students with access to higher education.  Since its first gift to OFIC in 1964, Battelle has provided nearly $1 million in scholarship and programmatic support.

OFIC, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 Ohio independent colleges and universities. OFIC member colleges collectively enroll more than 97,000 students.  For 57 years The Foundation has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education.  Through contributions raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations OFIC has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship assistance, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in independent higher education.  OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.

The member colleges are:  Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg College, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone College, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum College, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.