MACON — Mercer University School of Engineering rising senior Gregory Adams and alumnus Walter Lopez Chavez were recently awarded the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship by the U.S. Department of Defense.
SMART offers scholarships for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students pursuing a STEM degree. Scholarship recipients receive full tuition, annual stipends, internships and guaranteed employment with the Department of Defense after graduation.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Greg, a rising senior in electrical engineering, and Walter, a 2023 computer engineering graduate headed to Stanford to pursue a Master of Science in Computer Science, on earning the prestigious SMART Scholarship,” said Dr. Laura Lackey, dean of the School of Engineering. “Their outstanding academic achievements and dedication to their fields make them truly deserving of this honor.”
After he graduates, Adams, from Seneca, South Carolina, will work for Robins Air Force Base as an engineer for two years under contract and then says he plans to continue pursuing a defense industry career.
“I’m very excited to see all the doors that will open for my future through the ample opportunities provided by this program,” he said. “Each year I accept the scholarship, I am committed to complete one year of post-grad work at the base that sponsors me, in this case the Warner Robins AFB, as well as take internships during the summers before graduation.”
As part of the SMART Scholarship, Lopez Chavez, from Clayton County, will complete an internship at the Defense Intelligence Agency’s facility in Huntsville, Alabama, focusing on machine learning and data science.
“The Mercer engineering and honors programs provided me with the opportunity to engage in challenging and fascinating projects, and I am delighted that the DoD SMART Scholarship has recognized my efforts,” he said. “The DoD SMART Scholarship will not only enable me to attend graduate school at Stanford but also offer valuable experience to apply my knowledge in meaningful ways.”
The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program was established as a concentrated effort to enhance the Department of Defense workforce with talented, innovative and brilliant scientists, engineers and researchers. For more than a decade, SMART Scholars have been working within labs and agencies of the Army, Navy, Air Force and additional Department of Defense units to support the warfighter and create an impact to secure the nation.
About the School of Engineering
Mercer University’s School of Engineering, founded in 1985, offers innovative and academically challenging programs that provide students with a comprehensive education, featuring a solid foundation in mathematics and sciences, a core engineering curriculum, a range of courses in engineering specialties and a strong emphasis on communication technologies. The School is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top three master’s-degree-level engineering schools in the Southeast. Known for its breadth of instruction in its undergraduate program and its five-year joint bachelor’s and master’s degree program, the School combines technical education with hands-on laboratory experience. Mercer engineers can look forward to joining fellow alumni in companies such as Robins Air Force Base, Mercer Engineering Research Center, Northrop Grumman, Georgia Power, Manhattan Associates and Gulfstream Aerospace. For more information, visit engineering.mercer.edu.
