Frank C. and Karen S. Steininger Excellence in Marketing Award

The Frank C. and Karen S. Steininger Excellence in Marketing Award was established in 2016, and revised in 2019, by generous benefactors Frank C. and Karen S. Steininger. Frank earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from The University of Akron in 1981, and Karen earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from UA in 1982. Today, Frank serves as executive senior vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer of Houston-based CIVEO, a global leader in workforce accommodations for employees of oil and gas companies. The couple, grateful for the education they received at The University of Akron, established the award to give future promising students an opportunity to receive an outstanding marketing education from UA and fulfill their career goals.
The Frank C. and Karen S. Steininger Excellence in Marketing Award is intended to attract, recruit, retain and graduate outstanding students who will complete all requirements to earn an undergraduate degree through the Department of Marketing at The University of Akron.
The students supported by The Frank C. and Karen S. Steininger Excellence in Marketing Award shall be referred to as the Steininger Scholars in all correspondence on matters related to the award. Ideally, Steininger Scholars will be incoming, full-time freshmen who receive the award for a maximum of four years, i.e., the initial year and three renewals.
It is anticipated that the award account will be funded with $16,000 annually for the Steininger Scholars, who may use the award for any of the following*
Tuition and fees
Student housing as long as the recipient resides in on-campus housing
Textbooks and supplies. Examples of supplies include required class software and/or subscriptions
On-campus employment, provided the Steininger Scholars work with a faculty mentor in the Department of Marketing
Other purposes that benefit the Steininger Scholars as determined by the Chair of the Department of Marketing
*(Note: some of these award scenarios may become a taxable event for the recipient)
Eligible candidates for The Frank C. and Karen S. Steininger Excellence in Marketing Award must be enrolled full-time as marketing majors or be incoming, full-time freshmen planning to major in marketing. There will be two recipients named each year. One will be merit-based, the other need-based.
The merit-based recipient must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, an excellent record of conduct, and evidence of engagement in extracurricular activities and/or student organizations (balanced by employment requirements). Factors considered in selection include the student’s academic background, high school, interest in pursuing a degree in marketing, skills and career objectives and financial need. First consideration will be given to students from an underrepresented minority. The award is renewable up to three times as long as the merit-based Steininger Scholar maintains the above requirements.
The need-based recipient will be selected based on financial need, but must also have a minimum GPA of 2.5. The Marketing Scholarship Committee (MSC) will help identify candidates who qualify to receive an award based on this criteria. While this recipient must meet the aforementioned requirements, secondary criteria, such as that of the merit-based recipient, may be considered to make the final selection. The award is renewable up to three times as long as the need-based Steininger Scholar is determined to have financial need by MSC and maintains a minimum 2.5 grade point average.
Selection of Steininger Scholars will ultimately be made by the Chair of the Department of Marketing. The Chair will review the progress of Steininger Scholars each year to assess their academic progress before renewing the award.
The first Steininger Scholar was selected prior to the fall 2016 semester. New Steininger Scholars will be selected upon graduation of the previous recipients, or if recipients are no longer eligible for the award.