¹ú²úÂ×Àí

Kashkari, Drs. Chaman N. and Sheila Family Scholarship for Women in Electrical Engineering

The Drs. Chaman N. and Sheila Kashkari Family Scholarship for Women in Electrical Engineering was established in 2012 by Drs. Chaman N. and Sheila Kashkari. The scholarship was revised in 2024.

Dr. Chaman Kashkari was born in India in 1933. He obtained Master of Science and PhD degrees in electrical engineering in 1966 and 1969 from the University of Detroit and the University of Michigan, respectively. He taught at The University of Akron from 1969 to 1994 and retired as an Emeritus Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering. Dr. Kashkari devoted his research career to using technologies that provide water and energy to villages in Africa, India, and Nepal. In recognition of his leadership in working to end world hunger, he received the U.S. Presidential End Hunger Award at the White House in 1990 from President George H. W. Bush.

During his distinguished career, Dr. Kashkari was continually impressed by the talent and intelligence of many of his students, particularly female students who often were most accustomed to juggling the demands of family and work with life as a university student. He was constantly inspired by their intellectual brilliance, their devotion to learning difficult engineering concepts, and their capacity to work as team members and prepare outstanding laboratory reports. Knowing he had top-flight students, Dr. Kashkari was proud that his students, particularly the female students, achieved successful engineering careers.

Dr. Kashkari believed that the future would be dominated by waves of outstanding professional female engineering talent and hoped that there would be a global movement to train thousands of women engineers resulting in countless new jobs.

Dr. Sheila Kashkari was born in India in 1938. After earning an MD degree in India, she passed the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) examination which qualified her to work in the US. She completed her residency in Detroit. Dr. Kashkari was a pathologist in Akron City Hospital until 2001, and she subsequently worked part time for Quest Diagnostics.

Drs. Chaman and Sheila Kashkari were proud of their two children, Dr. Meera Kashkari Kelley and Mr. Neel T. Kashkari, and their families.

The Drs. Chaman N. and Sheila Kashkari Family Scholarship for Women in Electrical Engineering is to be awarded to an undergraduate student in electrical engineering at The University of Akron. To be eligible, candidates must actively promote and support diversity in the engineering program and participate in initiatives such as Women in Engineering Program (WIEP), Increasing Diversity in Engineering Academics (IDEAs), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), or similar programs. If no qualified applicant meets this requirement, the scholarship may be awarded to an applicant that is non-U.S. citizen or non-resident alien. If no suitable candidate meets the specified criteria, no award will be granted during that academic term.

Recipients must exhibit exceptional work ethics, demonstrate outstanding leadership both in academic settings and their communities, and showcase extraordinary commitment to the field of engineering. Financial need will be taken into account and candidates must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The College of Engineering and Polymer Science Scholarship Committee will identify eligible recipients and provide the list to The University of Akron Scholarship Committee in the Office of Student Financial Aid, which will make the final selection. 

To make a tax-deductible gift to this scholarship, please visit ¹ú²úÂ×Àí’s . Select “A different designation” from the drop-down menu and enter “Kashkari Family Scholarship” in the text box. Thank you!