VCU Engineering students to benefit from newly endowed scholarship

From left, Anita Taylor, director of Career Services and Interim Dean Gary Tepper, Ph.D. accept a check from Dave Mulholland, president of 7 x 24 Central Virginia, as the initial installment of an endowed scholarship to benefit VCU Engineering students.
From left, Anita Taylor, director of Career Services and Interim Dean Gary Tepper, Ph.D. accept a check from Dave Mulholland, president of 7x24 Central Virginia, as the initial installment of an endowed scholarship to benefit VCU Engineering students.

After years of working together to create internships and a scholarship for Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Engineering students, the 7x24 Exchange’s Central Virginia Chapter recently deepened its relationship with the College of Engineering by creating the 7x24 Central Virginia Scholarship, an endowed scholarship to benefit students in perpetuity.

Gary Tepper, Ph.D., interim dean of engineering, and Anita Taylor, director of Career Services, recently accepted a check from the 7x24 Exchange as the first installment toward the endowment.

“This gift means that engineering students will have support well into the future to help them concentrate on their studies, finish their degrees and enter the workforce ready to contribute,” said Tepper.

To qualify, students must demonstrate an interest in data center technology and digital infrastructures, be sophomore year or beyond and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average.

“We are grateful for this expanding partnership with 7x24 and its member companies,” said Taylor, who also serves on the 7x24 Exchange Board. “This scholarship will help the college fulfill its mission to provide the workforce to design, build and operate the digital infrastructure so essential now to all parts of life.”

Dave Mulholland, president of 7 x 24 Central Virginia, called the scholarship “the next logical step” in advancing the group’s mission to develop local talent to fill the data center pipeline.

“The scholarship demonstrates the chapter’s leadership in drawing top talent to the industry,” said Bob Cassiliano, chairman and CEO, 7x24 Exchange International.

“On behalf of the 7 x 24 Central Virginia chapter and its members, we are all very excited to be able to set a program in motion that will be there forever by funding this endowed scholarship,” Mulholland said.