Photo credit: University of North Carolina
Bobcat Company has announced a new collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to support students in engineering, business, and computing fields. The agreement includes a $200,000 donation to fund scholarships over the next three years and an expanded student development program based on UNC Charlotte’s campus.
The initiative is tied to Bobcat’s broader effort to strengthen its North Carolina talent pipeline, particularly for its manufacturing facility in Statesville. The company completed a $70 million expansion of the site in 2022, doubling its footprint and establishing it as Bobcat’s largest global campus.
The new partnership extends Bobcat’s existing Student Development Program, first launched in North Dakota, to include UNC Charlotte. The initiative allows selected students to work part-time while studying, gaining hands-on experience through project-based learning. On campus, students will have access to a dedicated Bobcat workspace and professional mentorship.
Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America, says: “We are honored to support the next generation of groundbreaking innovators and engineers. Our collaboration with UNC Charlotte is a gamechanger for both the University and Bobcat, fostering opportunities for the STEM leaders of tomorrow and reinforcing our mission of empowering people to accomplish more.”
The partnership is not limited to scholarships or internships. Bobcat employees are expected to collaborate across academic areas through classroom projects, research activity, and senior design support. According to UNC Charlotte, the goal is to create a model of industry-academic partnership that directly feeds into regional innovation and workforce needs.
Rob Keynton, dean of the William States Lee College of Engineering, says: “Bobcat is showcasing how industry and academia can together lead by providing opportunities for the next generation of talent in technology-related fields. This partnership with Bobcat will provide a tremendous opportunity for our students and create a place where a company and college meet and collaborate.”
The scholarships are available to students in UNC Charlotte’s engineering college, the Belk College of Business, and the College of Computing and Informatics. In addition to individual financial aid, the partnership offers long-term professional development through industry engagement.
Bobcat describes the partnership as a continuation of its community-based investment strategy and its broader effort to prepare the future workforce in areas where the company has operations.
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