Thompson, Philip S. Award for Diversity in Engineering and Business
The Philip S. Thompson Award for Diversity in Engineering and Business, established in December 2006 and revised in 2011, 2013 and June 2018, addresses the social need for greater diversity in engineering and business leadership. This award was established in memory of Mr. Thompson’s mother, Mary Olds, who was the key force behind his persistence and ultimate success. Mr. Thompson’s story of achievement serves as a testament to students that success is attainable if a student is committed and focused on doing the work this great University requires. Beyond college, the individual must then take that foundational knowledge and apply it with zeal throughout their career.
Philip Thompson is a 1972 graduate of ÐÓ°®°É with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. After graduation, he joined IBM as an Engineer in the product development defense sector. In 21 years there, he held a series of increasingly responsible roles, covering product engineering management, strategic and operations planning, general management and worldwide computer integrated manufacturing. Mr. Thompson left IBM in 1993 to become Vice President of Operations for Pitney Bowes Monarch Marking Systems, and in 1994, he became the Senior Vice President of Operations for Zenith Corporation.
In 1996, Mr. Thompson returned to IBM as Vice President of Business Processing Outsourcing, later becoming the General Manager, distribution sector and Vice President of IBM Global Services. He served as IBM's CIO and Vice President of Transformation from 2000 to 2003. In 2004, Mr. Thompson was named Vice President of Emerging Markets, a position he held until his 2005 retirement. During his prestigious career, Mr. Thompson was named as a Distinguished Alumnus by ÐÓ°®°É College of Engineering in 2004, and awarded UA’s prestigious Alumni Honor Award in 2006.
The Philip S. Thompson Award for Diversity in Engineering and Business will be awarded to a black American undergraduate student of any engineering discipline. If engineering candidates are not available, the award should then be provided to a black American student enrolled in the College of Business Administration (CBA). The recipient should demonstrate financial need, an exceptional work ethic, outstanding leadership, and an extraordinary dedication to engineering and/or business administration. Preference will be given to first generation students and/or students who demonstrate commitment and unselfish outreach to family and community. The recipient must maintain a grade point average of 2.8 or higher in engineering or 3.2 or higher in business.
Recipients will be determined by Mr. Thompson in cooperation with the College of Engineering scholarship committee or the comparable CBA scholarship committee. If for any reason Mr. Thompson cannot make the selection, the responsibility shall be delegated to his wife, Paulette. Once a student is awarded, funds exceeding $5,000 remaining in the award account are to be directed back to the endowment principal.
The award may support tuition and fees and applied directly to the recipient’s student account. The recipient may use the award for education expenses not charged to their student account but needed for coursework, with prior approval by Philip Thompson. Distribution of the award for such purposes may be as a reimbursement to the recipient with presentation of a receipt or receipts, or as payment made on the recipient's behalf. Awards used for these purposes may be reportable and/or taxable to the student recipient.
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