Double major doctor-in-training

Brittany Urwin is one of hundreds of Wright State students who have benefited from a scholarship funded by a local business or corporation.

By Micah Karr ’19

Brittany Urwin ’20 started her career at Wright State with a foot in two colleges. She planned to dual major in dance and materials science engineering. She eventually graduated in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in materials science engineering and plans to attend the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine to earn her medical degree.

Wright State was a good place for Urwin to start her dual major, she said. She said she enjoyed her classes and had the opportunity to learn from professors who have helped her greatly in her college career.

“The professors were always willing to help whenever we needed it, and I think the smaller class sizes helped,” she said. “The program itself was awesome, and there are so many internship opportunities that I am very happy with my decision.”

After her first year, Urwin decided dance was not her life goal. She dropped her dance major to work at pursuing medicine full time. But to quench her thirst for dance, she joined Wright State’s gymnastics club. The people she met at the club, she said, made the workouts more fun.

“We were able to travel for meets, which was an awesome break from normal college studies,” she said.

Urwin lived in honors housing when she came to Wright State, an experience she said she loved. Living with fellow honors students helped her studies, she said.

Urwin is the recipient of the Metallurgical Solutions Scholarship. Founded by Brian Joyce, Ph.D. ’97, ’04, a graduate of the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS), the scholarship assists students in CECS. The company provides metallurgical support to all industries that use metals in their parts or production process. Metallurgical Solutions tests raw materials for strength and provides industrial forensics for companies that have mechanical failures.

“I set up the Metallurgical Solutions Scholarship as a small gesture to help others on their journeys, ‘paying it forward’,” Joyce said. “I’m thankful it was set up to be self-sustaining, providing some support for future engineers. It’s my belief that the world would be a much better place if more would be willing to give a little back.”

By the numbers

$733,000 in corporate scholarships were awarded to over 150 students during 2019–20 academic year

Over 40 corporate named and funded scholarships at Wright State

$1.8 million in corporate giving from over 330 companies

Importance of Corporate Scholarships: Brittany Urwin is one of hundreds of Wright State students who have benefited from a scholarship funded by a local business or corporation.