John W. Prados Chemical Engineering Co-op Scholarship
The Prados Scholarship provides up to five undergraduate TCE students a one-year award of $5,000 each. To qualify, a student must be successfully majoring in chemical engineering, be participating in the Engineering Professional Practice co-op program, and be pursing specific business courses.
Key Scholarship Requirements
- Pursue a major in Chemical Engineering (GPA >3.0)
- Complete a minimum of two co-op rotations prior to receipt of the award funds.
- Declare a business minor – Or – Take four business electives as part of the student’s approved degree plan: Psychology 110 (3 hours), Accounting 200 (3 hours), Economics 201 (4 hours), and ISE 405 Engineering Economics, (3 hours). Students must have completed at least one business course prior to receipt of the award funds.
- Upon selection, read the booklet: Exceed Your Expectations Through Lifelong Learning and submit a two-three page typed essay on the booklet to their CBE academic advisor.
Key Scholarship Benefits
- In addition to the scholarship funds, acquiring business knowledge and co-op experience will better position graduates for early career promotions and enhanced leadership roles.
- Clear understanding of leadership, business, finance and economics will significantly increase earnings over the student’s entire career.
- Prados scholars will receive a set of 10-12 books upon graduation related to leadership, general business and finance to help start their journey to professional excellence.
The Prados scholarship is named for UT Professor Emeritus, John W. Prados. Prados has been recognized for excellence at the university where he served for more than fifty years. UT named him Macebearer in 1997-98, the highest faculty honor conferred by the university. He was the first inductee into the CBE Hall of Fame, and in 2010 the UT College of Engineering presented him with the Nathan W. Dougherty Award (its highest award) for his many accomplishments that enhanced the profession and brought acclaim to the university.
In 2008 J. Michael Stone, ChemE ’63, established the John W. Prados scholarship at UT for chemical engineering students. Specifically, Mike Stone wanted to encourage students majoring in chemical engineering to participate in the co-op program and study business principles. Each Prados scholarship recipient is also challenged to develop the understanding that learning is a lifelong endeavor that will bring many rewards.
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- Michael Stone, center, with several scholarship recipients
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- John Prados, center, with two students
Past Recipients
Since the scholarship was established there have been over 40 students that have received the John W. Prados Chemical Engineering Co-op Scholarship. These students went on to start their careers with Cargill, Dominion Energy, Eastman, ExxonMobil, Flowserve, Johnson & Johnson, The Dow Chemical Company, Milliken, Monsanto, and PepsiCo.
Read about the impact this prestigious scholarship has had on its recipients.
“I think I share this with a lot of current and previous students: I want University of Tennessee engineering students to be at the pinnacle of this profession. It is not going to be easy, but with a dedication to lifelong learning we can do this! The guidance and the resources Mr. Stone have provided, in my mind, give us a leg up on engineers from other universities.” — Ryan Keever, BS/ChE ’21
“It seems that you have known for a long time what I am now learning through my co-op experience: that business knowledge and experience is extremely valuable even for those specializing in the engineering discipline. I truly believe that to excel in engineering one must know how to understand business and understand people.” — Jacob Reynolds, BS/ChE ’20
“Diversified lifelong learning expands our level of understanding and allows us to make better decisions as each perspective feeds off the other. In a world that is constantly changing, single-mindedness is a thing of the past.” — Tasimba Jonga, BS/ChE ’21
“I will be deliberate in my focus on continuous education and overall professional development. I am fortunate to have been exposed to this concept at such an early point in my career, and I look forward to learning all I can about finances, business, leadership, and so much more.” — Zoe Antonas, BS/ChE ’20
“I am convinced in its [the booklet’s] message and now have a “fire in my belly” to pursue a lifetime of learning. I am confident this journey will lead me to success and allow me to provide the best possible life I can for the ones I love.” — Nathan Tidwell, BS/ChE ’21
“As I started getting into upper level courses and going on work assignments, I realized just how different the professional world was going to be from the academic world in which I had developed. Exceed Your Expectation Through Lifelong Learning was just what I needed to read as I faced my senior year.” — Grayson Jones, BS/ChE ’18
“I am incredibly grateful for this scholarship, not only for the monetary relief but also for the inspiration with which it has provided me. Without this scholarship, I would have never thought to pursue a business minor, but I have found the business minor, in combination with my co-op, has greatly enhanced my education. I feel that I am now a more well-rounded individual with a better understanding of the world around me.” — Rebekah Patton, BS/ChE ’15
“After completing my reading of [the booklet], I sat and contemplated for the first time what I truly wanted out of my career, and my decision was clear. I want to be successful and I want to lead. From the bottom of my heart I must thank you for helping set me on the path to a successful life by passing down the importance of lifelong learning.” — Warren Ottenfeld, BS/ChE ’20