RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Three students have been selected as recipients of the first scholarships established in the memory of Larry W. McCurdy, chairman of the board of Affinia Group Inc., who passed away in August. The first McCurdy scholarship recipients were selected from this year’s applicants at the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) Scholarship website, www.AutomotiveScholarships.com.
 
Each will receive a $2,500 award for the 2010-2011 academic year. The recipients are:

• Grant Boeckmann (Plymouth, Wis.), a student at the University of Wisconsin majoring in mechanical engineering. His career goal is to work in the automotive aftermarket.

• Alexander Panin (Vancouver, Wash.), a student at Eastern Washington University majoring in mechanical engineering. His career goal is to design electric vehicles.

• Zachary Rohde (Olathe, Kan.), a student at the University of Kansas majoring in mechanical engineering. His career goal is to work for a vehicle or parts manufacturer.

Affinia Group established the memorial scholarship fund with the University of Aftermarket Foundation to honor McCurdy, who served as Affinia’s chairman since its inception in 2004. The fund will award three, $2,500 scholarships per year to students in four-year programs preparing for aftermarket careers in engineering, business, accounting or other professional positions.

The GAAS Scholarship Committee has established a reviewer group for the 2011 McCurdy scholarships, which will be presented in May at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS). Applications are being accepted now at the GAAS Scholarship website.

These most recent scholarships bring the total 2010 awards from the GAAS scholarship site to 139 students receiving 158 scholarships by the GAAS Scholarship fund, its contributors and other groups collaborating with the GAAS Scholarship Web site.

Other individual scholarships ranged from $250 to $3,000, and, in total, $158,000 was awarded. In its 15-year history, the fund has presented more than $1.5 million in awards to more than 1,500 students.

Ninety-four GAAS scholarships were awarded in 2010, including eight awards to students in Canada. The annual investment to develop future automotive aftermarket industry leaders is funded through proceeds from the annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium. The 2011 GAAS event will be held May 18-19 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Chicago. For more information, visit www.globalsymposium.org.