The Gene Haas Foundation donated to the Manufacturing Engineering Program at Georgia Southern University, a grant for $15,000 to assist students who hope to have a job in the manufacturing field. The number of scholarships that the money will create is still unknown.

The owner of the Haas Automation and co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, Gene Haas, created the foundation in the late 90’s to help his local California community and charities.

Georgia Southern University is the only university in Georgia, that allows students to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in manufacturing engineering. The program officially launched in August 2015, in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology (CEIT) building.

“This donation is reassuring and it’s a step in the right direction that shows there is still interest from the [manufacturing] sector in manufacturing engineering education,” Spencer Harp, laboratory supervisor in CEIT, said.