Spring 2011 - The University of Akron

( feATure sTory )
The Timken Scholarship Program Brings
International Students to UA
The Timken Company, one of the world’s leading
producers of highly engineered antifriction bearings
and related products and services and alloy steel
and components, has its corporate headquarters in
Canton, Ohio and operations in 28 countries on six
continents. Among its team of 20,000 employees are more than
430 University of Akron alumni, and the company has many
retirees who are graduates of the University.
In addition, The Timken Company participates in a robust
co-op program with the University, offering valuable experience
to students from diverse majors such as financial management,
mechanical engineering, computer information systems,
computer science, accounting and international business. The
Timken Foundation of Canton recently $2 million toward a new
engineering building at the University, and has provided support
to the University’s Minority Engineering program.
Another instance of the company’s ties to UA is The Timken
Scholarship Program, which makes available full academic
undergraduate assistance to the sons and daughters of full-time
Timken associates and retirees. In 2010, the scholarship program
translated into approximately $230,000 to the University.
In February of 2011, Timken
finished accepting applications for its
annual scholarship drive. Of the 200 or
so applications received, the program
will award 38 scholarships—ranging
in value from $5,000 to $50,000—to
children of Timken employees who
are graduating from high school this
year. Since 1958, Timken has awarded
approximately 500 scholarships
Feng Yang
totaling some $20 million to the
children of Timken employees.
To gauge the success of The Timken Scholarship
Program, consider Feng Yang, a 2010 University of Akron
graduate recently hired by The Timken Company—a
second-generation Timken employee.
Feng came to The University of Akron from China,
thanks to Timken’s scholarship program. His father,
Jianping Yang, and mother, Guoxian Liu, both worked at
Timken’s bearing manufacturing plant in Yantai, China.
Jianping is still working for Timken as a machinery
repairer, and Guoxian Liu recently retired after more
than 20 years of service to Timken.
Feng came to the United States and The University of Akron in
2005. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting/international
business (double major) from UA in 2009. Feng became a certified
public accountant in November 2010, and received his master’s
degree in accounting from UA in December 2010. His mother
made the journey from China to see Feng receive his master’s
degree. While in the U.S., Guoxian Liu also met the Chairman
of Timken, Ward “Tim” Timken, Jr., and Timken’s CEO,
Jim Griffith, as well as Timken’s Senior Vice President of Human
Resources and Organizational Advancement, Don Walker.
While working on his degrees from UA, Feng completed a twoyear
internship in Timken’s steel division. The internship led to his
full-time hiring at Timken as a Steel Business Associate.
When asked what the Timken International Scholarship meant to
him, Feng said, “The scholarship program provided me so many
opportunities I would not otherwise have had—the opportunity
to study abroad, to get work experience, and be hired at Timken.
It’s such a great program.”
Another University of Akron student and Timken scholarship
recipient, Mihaela Ciupitu, a native of Romania, will join Timken
as a full-time employee after she graduates. She will graduate in
May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration/
finance and a minor in international business.
guoxian liu, mother of Feng Yang, and retired from timken
with more than 20 years of service, with timken’s Chairman,
Ward J. “tim” timken, Jr.
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