Meet a Fluid Power Scholarship Winner—Alexander Davis

Programs like the Fluid Power Scholarships are made possible in part by the generous support of industry volunteers as well as NFPA Education and Technology Foundation and Pascal Society donors. Support these efforts by making a donation.

The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation has awarded fourteen $2,000 scholarships to students pursuing fluid power technology fields of study.

Here’s one of the winners, Alexander Davis. He is attending Virginia Tech and is enrolled in the Chemical Engineering program. We asked Alexander about winning the scholarship…

What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?
I have worked extremely hard in school and in my extracurricular to receive this scholarship for which I am very grateful. Receiving this scholarship shows that NFPA hopes to see me succeed in my endeavors, future goals, and educational pursuits. This scholarship will defer some of the costs attributed to college and has further shown the widespread support there is for the application of fluid power.

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
I chose to learn about fluid power in my internship for VCU’s chemical engineering laboratory where I was responsible for managing a continuous catalyst production system which required me to learn some elements of fluid power to properly manage such a system. I decided to learn even more about fluid power and vacuum-based systems in order to benefit my school’s robotics team by designing a collection mechanism that was entirely vacuum controlled while working around the strict FTC regulations prohibiting such devices. This design along with my exposure and interest in fluid power brought my team to the state championship for Virginia, before events were sadly cancelled due to COVID-19.

What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?
My career goals are to major in chemical engineering at Virginia Tech and potentially get a doctorate in the same career area in the future. Meanwhile I would like to continue working as a researcher for different industries such as catalysis, energy, or medical. Through my research I hope to use my knowledge of fluid power to bolster my research efficiency and develop multiple reactionary vessels/routes that use fluid power in order to achieve success in my research endeavors.

The Foundation’s goal is to help individuals enrolled in high schools, technical colleges, and engineering schools pursue their interests in fluid power. For further information about the Fluid Power Scholarship program, contact Amy Zignego, Workforce Program Manager, at azignego@nfpa.com.