FORT WORTH, Texas, August 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Elbit Systems of America, LLC, an innovative leader in defense,
commercial aviation, homeland security and medical instrumentation
solutions, announces its continued commitment in developing
tomorrow's innovative leaders by supporting STEM education.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
and the education of these disciplines. According to the United
States Department of Education, only 16 percent of American high
school seniors are proficient in mathematics and are interested in
a STEM career.
"I believe it is important that our nation maintains a lead in
mathematics and science," commented Raanan
Horowitz, Elbit Systems of America
President and Chief Executive Officer. "As a manufacture of
integrated system solutions we see the importance of this education
on a daily basis and are committed to supporting our youth and
young adults through internship training, scholarships, and
mentoring."
Elbit Systems of America, in conjunction with the Army
Scholarship Foundation, established a scholarship to assist
children of current and former members of the United States Army
and to spouses of currently serving soldiers in their pursuit of
higher education within STEM disciplines. This scholarship was
created in the honor of SFC Neal Benson, an employee of Elbit
Systems of America. An eight-year employee and former engineer,
Benson is also a member of the Army National Guard, 20th
Special Forces Group. During Benson's second tour in Afghanistan, he was injured by an Improved
Explosive Device. The explosion left SFC Benson with serious head,
eye and facial trauma.
"It is honor to be the namesake of this scholarship. When
someone joins the Army to serve our nation, it's not just the
soldier who makes sacrifices, their entire family does," stated
Benson. "This scholarship provides the opportunity for military
families to continue their education in a field that will further
serve our country."
In addition to the Army Scholarship, Elbit Systems of America
also supports the "FIRST™ (For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology) Robotics Scholarship." These
scholarships are awarded to high school seniors that participate in
the FIRST Robotics Competition and demonstrate leadership within
the program. In the summer of 2015, Horowitz announced Michelle Arnold of Medford, New York, and Sakshi Hester of San
Diego, California, as the first recipients of the Elbit
Systems of America FIRST Robotics scholarships.
According to Thomas Boehm,
Arnold's program mentor, Michelle first became interested in
robotics during her freshman year of high school. This program
allowed her to pursue her passion for computer science. Arnold will
continue her studies at RPI (Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute), while Hester will attend UC
Berkeley. Each will receive a scholarship for $5000.
Every year the company also extends scholarships to the
dependent children of employees. Since the inception of this
program, Elbit Systems of America has provided 41 scholarships to
children continuing their education in a STEM discipline with
dreams of careers in Engineering, Finance, and Medical fields.
At Elbit Systems of America it is about more than financial
contributions. Employees also devote their time to supporting STEM
programs by mentoring students in the areas of the FIRST Lego
League Robotics Competition and Team America Rocketry Challenge
(TARC). Denton Marlowe, a hardware
engineer from Talladega, AL,
mentored Team Interstellar on topics such as propulsion, rocket
design, and aerodynamics. The team, from Lincoln High School, was one of 100 teams from
across the United States that
qualified for the TARC National Finals in Washington, DC.
"I like that fact that Elbit Systems of America is willing to
invest in more than the future of the company, but also in the
future of our society as a whole, inspiring the next generation of
scientists and engineers," said Marlowe.
Each summer, Elbit Systems of America hosts STEM interns as part
of their engineering department working side-by side with seasoned
engineers. The collaboration with industry professionals allows
students to witness the real-world application of science and
technology.
"Our company commits millions of dollars annually into research
and development. More importantly is our commitment to future
engineers through our internship program," commented Bill Lenz, Vice President Engineering. "This
summer, we have several STEM interns in each of the four
disciplines that have the opportunity to advance their knowledge of
science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. These students
also bring fresh, innovative ideas to the company. Our commitment
is to nurture their passion for STEM and to encourage them in
reaching their career goals."
About Elbit Systems of America, LLC
Elbit Systems of America is a leading provider of high
performance products, system solutions, and support services
focusing on the commercial aviation, defense, homeland security and
medical instrumentation markets. With facilities throughout
the United States, Elbit Systems of America is dedicated to
supporting those who contribute daily to the safety and security of
the United States. Elbit Systems of America, LLC is wholly
owned by Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT), a global
electronics company engaged in a wide range of programs for
innovative defense and commercial applications. For
additional information, visit: http://www.elbitsystems-us.com or
follow us on Twitter.
About Elbit Systems
Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international high technology company
engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security and
commercial programs throughout the world. The Company, which
includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas
of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control,
communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and
reconnaissance ("C4ISR"), unmanned aircraft systems, advanced
electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, signal
intelligence systems, data links and communications systems, radios
and cyber-based systems. The Company also focuses on the
upgrading of existing platforms, developing new technologies for
defense, homeland security and commercial applications and
providing a range of support services, including training and
simulation systems.
For additional information, visit: http://www.elbitsystems.com
or follow us on Twitter.
Trademarks
Elbit Systems of America and other trademarks, service marks and
logos are registered or unregistered marks of Elbit Systems of
America companies in the United
States and in foreign countries. Copyright © 2014
Elbit Systems of America. All rights reserved.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements (within
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries
(collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not
relate to historical or current fact. Forward-looking
statements are based on management's expectations, estimates,
projections and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These
statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve
certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict.
Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may
differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to a
variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length
of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals;
changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market,
political and economic conditions in the countries in which the
Company operates or sells, including Israel and the
United States among others; differences in anticipated and
actual program performance, including the ability to perform under
long-term fixed-price contracts; and the outcome of legal and/or
regulatory proceedings. The factors listed above are not
all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit
Systems Ltd.'s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this
release. The Company does not undertake to update its
forward-looking statements.
Contact: Shari Clarkson,
+1-682-286-2363, sharon.clarkson@elbitsystems-us.com
SOURCE Elbit Systems of America