A $1.1 million gift from the Brinkman Foundation will significantly enhance the University’s Mechanical Engineering Department with upgraded laboratory equipment, and will be used to establish scholarships for women in engineering.
The School of Engineering and Computing has announced a donation of $1.1 million from long-time donor, the Earl W. and Hildagunda A. Brinkman Private Charitable Foundation. This generous funding is in honor of the late Earl Brinkman, father of Fairfield alumna and foundation trustee Ellie Hawthorne ’85, MA’88. The donation will enhance the University’s Mechanical Engineering Department by upgrading equipment and will also directly support two key initiatives: the Baja Racing Team and the establishment of scholarships for women in engineering. This gift brings the Brinkman Foundation’s support of Fairfield University to $2.23 million dollars.
Over the next decade, the funding allocated to the Baja Racing Team—the School of Engineering and Computing’s largest and most dynamic student club—will support the team’s continued growth and innovation, bringing together students from various engineering disciplines. The investment will enable essential upgrades, including real-time computer monitoring of the race car's telemetry and diagnostics, as well as advanced driver-to-pit crew communication systems. With this support, the Baja Racing Team will remain competitive on a national level, providing invaluable hands-on learning experiences for the 30+ students involved each year.
The Brinkman Foundation gift will also be used to establish Fairfield University's first permanent scholarship for women in engineering. This initiative underscores the School of Engineering and Computing's commitment to empowering women in STEM fields. The scholarship will offer ongoing financial assistance to help women students throughout their academic journey and contribute to efforts to close the gender gap in engineering. Beyond supporting current students, the goal of the scholarship is to inspire more high school women to consider engineering as a career path.
Additionally, the gift will support women engineering students through memberships to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). It will also cover travel expenses for students to attend major industry expos such as SME’s Smart Manufacturing and FabTech expos and the SWE Expo. These opportunities will provide our female students with vital industry exposure and professional networking, paving the way for a more equitable entry into the manufacturing sector.
The Brinkman Foundation’s generous support not only strengthens the engineering program but also reinforces the School of Engineering and Computing’s reputation as a leader in innovative, hands-on engineering education. This generous donation will enhance the student learning experience, provide essential resources for our faculty, and ensure our graduates are well-prepared to excel in the evolving field of engineering.
