Bobcat Company is teaming up with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering in a big way. The brand announced a $200,000 donation to fund scholarships for students across UNC Charlotte’s engineering, business, and computing colleges, along with additional funding.
This new partnership strengthens Bobcat’s Student Development Program on campus, creates a dedicated work environment for participating students, and builds a pipeline for future STEM pros in North Carolina and beyond.
“We are honored to support the next generation of groundbreaking innovators and engineers,” said Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc. “Our collaboration with UNC Charlotte is a gamechanger for both the University and Bobcat, fostering opportunities for the STEM leaders of tomorrow and reinforcing our mission of empowering people to accomplish more.”
Creating Real-World Workspaces on Campus
For more than a decade, Bobcat’s Student Development Program has helped engineering students nationwide by providing paid, part-time job opportunities aligned with their education. At UNC Charlotte, the program now features a dedicated campus workspace with individual workstations, as well as direct access to Bobcat team members, mentorship, and real-world projects.
“Bobcat is showcasing how industry and academia can together lead by providing opportunities for the next generation of talent in technology-related fields,” said Rob Keynton, Dean of the W. S. Lee College of Engineering. “The state of North Carolina has become an engineering hub for a variety of industries that rely on skilled engineers to move innovation forward. This partnership with Bobcat will provide a tremendous opportunity for our students and create a place where a company and college meet and collaborate.”
The $200,000 donation will fund scholarships over the next three years for students studying STEM, supply chain, and logistics, all sectors that are fueling commercial vehicle innovation at a rapid pace.
The partnership is more than just scholarships and workspace. Bobcat employees will also support classroom instruction, faculty projects, student research, senior design efforts, and more. The collaboration is designed to grow and evolve, much like the fleet and vocational truck industry itself.
Bobcat’s support of STEM education is nothing new. UNC Charlotte is located near Bobcat’s Statesville, North Carolina, manufacturing plant. In 2022, the company wrapped up a $70 million expansion at the site, doubling its size to 1.2 million square feet and adding 62 acres to its campus—now Bobcat’s largest manufacturing facility worldwide. Workforce development through this UNC Charlotte partnership will help staff at that location with local, high-tech talent.
Bobcat launched its Student Development Program in North Dakota with North Dakota State University and the University of Mary. Since then, more than 135 students have joined the program, many of whom have gone on to become full-time Bobcat team members.
More information about Bobcat's student initiatives is available here and information for UNC Charlotte’s engineering program can be found here.
