Mechanical Engineering junior Dallin Swiss has been awarded the Tau Beta Pi scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year.  The scholarship is a national award that is only given to a limited number of students each year.  These scholarships are awarded to junior members of TBP on a competitive basis of high scholarship, campus leadership and service, and promise of future contributions to the engineering profession.

The Tau Beta Pi Association was founded at Lehigh University in 1885 to mark those who display distinguished scholarship and exemplary character as students in engineering, or by their attainments as alumni in the field of engineering.  The Tau Beta Pi Association Scholarship Program was established in 1998 with five awards.  Between 1998 and 2011, awards of $2,000 each have been made to 1,116 scholars for their senior year of full-time engineering study.  TBP expects to award approximately 190 awards this year.

“When I received the email notifying me that I had been selected as a scholarship recipient, the first thing that came to mind was gratitude for the individuals that wrote letters of recommendation for me,” said Swiss.  “Because Tau Beta Pi is an engineering honors society, I knew the other applicants would have high GPA’s.  I work hard for my academic success, but I’m not perfect in a “4.0” kind of way.  I appreciate the time and thought that my references put in to writing their letters.  No doubt they played a big role in my receiving this award.”  Swiss continued, “At this point, I feel very humbled and blessed to have received the scholarship.  The extra funding from this scholarship will help my wife and I, and our brand-new son, manage the needs and desires of our family.”

Swiss is from Sandy, Utah, and will begin his senior year in the Mechanical Engineering program in the Fall of 2012.  He intends to fulfill the requirements for the Manufacturing emphasis in the ME program.  “I love applying the knowledge and training of my engineering education in immediate and practical ways,” commented Swiss.  “I want more of an understanding of manufacturing so that when the time comes to make something amazing, I’ll know how to do it with both accuracy and precision.”