Nathanael Ford '22 has been named the first recipient of the Bosch Fellowship at Kettering University.

The Bosch Fellowship was established with a $500,000 endowment from the Bosch Community Fund to support annual fellowships for academically talented Kettering University students. Eligible majors for the fellowship include mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science. 

“We are excited to announce this partnership with Kettering University,” said Mike Mansuetti, president of Robert Bosch LLC and a member of the Kettering University Board of Trustees. “With an aim of diversifying the workforce and inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists, the primary goal of the endowment is to support high-achieving but underrepresented people in pursuing STEM programs and careers.”

Robert Bosch LLC is the North American arm of Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services. The Bosch Group has four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The company is a longtime corporate partner of Kettering University.

“We are grateful to Robert Bosch LLC for establishing The Bosch Fellowship at Kettering University,” said Dr. Robert K. McMahan, Kettering University President. “Kettering prepares students to be leaders and innovators in the global workforce like no other institution in the country, and support from generous partners like Bosch provides our students with the critical resources they need to continue their studies while making it possible for us to deliver to them the world-class STEM and business education for which we are known.”

Ford, a Computer Science major, is the first recipient of the Bosch Fellowship, which will provide him $5,000 annually.

“I was actually quite surprised when I found out I had received the fellowship,” Ford said. “It is a relief knowing more funds have become available to me. It brings me closer to fully covering some of my terms at Kettering.”

Ford came to Kettering from Toledo because he was intrigued by the co-op program. He first learned about Kettering when he was on his high school’s FIRST Robotics Competition team.

After learning about what the University had to offer, Ford knew it was the right fit for him.

“I’m an avid gamer. Since I was a kid I was interested in what it was like to make them. I wanted to make a career in software development in general,” Ford said. “When I got here and I started coding, it felt good to see stuff that you were just typing in a program start working. That’s also why I got involved in FIRST. I knew I wanted to have a career in computer science and software development and I thought that would give me a kick start.”

While at Kettering, Ford has become involved in student organizations, such as Improv Club, Target Club and Physics Club. He hopes to be able to mentor FIRST teams and become part of Greek life on campus as well.