SPE ACCE 2020 Announces Call for Applications for ACCE & Rehkopf Scholarships

Media Contact:  Teri Chouinard, SPE Auto. Div. Comm. Chair, 248.701.8003, teri@intuitgroup.com

TROY (DETROIT), MICH. - The organizing committee for the SPE® Automotive Composites Conference & Expo (ACCE) invites graduate, undergraduate, and community college students to submit applications for three SPE ACCE scholarships and an additional award from the endowed scholarship funded in honor of the late Dr. Jackie Rehkopf, a long-time SPE ACCE volunteer and automotive composites expert.  Applications are due April 1, 2020 and winners will be announced prior to the 2020 SPE ACCE event, September 9 - 11, 2020 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan (in the Metro-Detroit area).  

The three ACCE scholarships are $2,000 USD each.  Two of the scholarships (given annually since 2007) are for full-time graduate students, anywhere in the world, who are pursuing degrees in Polymer Science, Composites, Plastics or a related Engineering discipline.  A third ACCE scholarship is available for a graduate or junior or senior undergraduate student pursuing similar academic programs at a university or college in the U.S. state of Michigan.   In addition to a letter of recommendation from an advisor or mentor (and other SPE foundation requirements), students must provide a succinct two-page essay explaining how their planned work will benefit polymer composites usage in the automotive or other ground-transportation industry.  

The Dr. Jackie Rehkopf endowed scholarship ($5,000 USD) will be awarded to undergraduate or graduate students studying engineering or science with plans to work in the field of transportation composites. If there are no qualified graduate applicants, two $2,500 USD awards may be awarded to suitable undergraduate applicants.  As with the ACCE scholarships, a letter of recommendation from the student’s advisor/mentor (in addition to other SPE Foundation requirements) and a two-page essay is required showing planned work and how it benefits composites usage in the automotive or other ground-transportation industry. 

All scholarship winners are required to attend the 2020 ACCE and present their research at the 2021 ACCE in order to be eligible to receive their award.    One half of the scholarship will be awarded at the 2020 ACCE and the other half will be awarded at the 2021 ACCE.    Partial travel stipends, hotel accommodations and free conference registrations will be provided to assist with travel expenses.  

Applications for ACCE, Rehkopf, and many other SPE scholarships are on the SPE Foundation website at http://www.4spe.org/Foundation.  Deadline for submission is April 1, 2020.  

For more information on the ACCE and Dr. Jackie Rehkopf Scholarships, contact Dr. David Jack, Baylor University, 254.710.3347, David_Jack@baylor.edu.

About the SPE ACCE

Held annually in suburban Detroit, the ACCE draws over 800 speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees and provides an environment dedicated solely to discussion, education and networking about advances in transportation composites.  Its global appeal is evident in the diversity of exhibitors, speakers, and attendees who come to the conference from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia/Pacific as well as North America.  About 20% of attendees work for automotive and light truck, agriculture, tuck & bus or aviation OEMs and another 25% represent tier suppliers.  Attendees also work for composite materials processing equipment, additives, or reinforcement suppliers; trade associations, consultancies, university and government labs; media; and investment banks.  The show has been jointly produced by the SPE Automotive and Composites Divisions since 2001.  

The mission of SPE is to promote scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plastics worldwide and to educate industry, academia, and the public about these advances. SPE’s Automotive Division is active in educating,

promoting, recognizing, and communicating technical accomplishments in all phases of plastics and plastic-based composite developments in the global transportation industry. SPE’s Composites Division does the same with a focus on plastic-based composites in multiple industries.  Topic areas include applications, materials, processing, equipment, tooling, design, and development. For more information see www.speautomotive.com and www.specomposites.org.

For more information on the Society of Plastics Engineers, see www.4spe.org.