Rick Wielopolski Endowed Scholarship in Engineering

Rick and Mari Wielopolski established The Rick Wielopolski Endowed Scholarship in Engineering in November 2021 and revised the scholarship in 2023. Rick, BSEE ’76, a proud alumnus of The University of Akron and its Electrical Engineering program, believes in the transformative power of education, hard work and the benefits and potential of technology. Rick has been involved with Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu and the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers since his time at UA. He is married to his wonderful wife, Mari, an Economics and Business Administration graduate of Hope College who earned her MBA from Grand Valley State University.

Rick Wielopolski is the son of Polish immigrants and the first to go directly to college after high school. He values hard work and has been a lifelong learner. Rick determined at an early age that he loved electronics, attempted repairing many appliances at home (some successfully), and was able to enroll in the first electronics class at his high school. He worked outside school from age 11 to fund his admission into The University of Akron in 1971. This was an exciting time in engineering and the same year as the invention of the first commercial microprocessor. He entered the electrical engineering program with an emphasis on digital electronics and computers, worked in the summer at an electronics parts and repair store, then as a co-op student, took every computer hardware and software elective possible, and graduated with a BSEE in 1976.

Rick is a successful consultant, integrator, engineer, entrepreneur, and inventor with over 40 years of experience in the computer industry and expertise in hardware, software, system design, development, project management and executive leadership. He has broad international experience, has worked for major global Fortune 100 companies and other market leaders, holds a cybersecurity patent, and formed his own technology consulting company in his retirement years.

By establishing The Rick Wielopolski Endowed Scholarship in Engineering, Rick and Mari desire to enable students to pursue a degree in engineering that will provide a satisfying experience and career for the rest of their life. They hope to assist Zips in their educational pursuits as they prepare for future opportunities and success. Preference is given to deserving students with financial need who are planning a career in computer or electrical engineering.

The Rick Wielopolski Endowed Scholarship in Engineering candidate must be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in The University of Akron’s College of Engineering and Polymer Science. First consideration shall be given to students in the Computer or Electrical Engineering programs. If there are no candidates from the Computer or Electrical Engineering programs, Computer Science students pursuing a BS or MS degree will be eligible for the scholarship. Recipients must be in good academic standing and will be selected by the College of Engineering and Polymer Science Dean’s office.

In any event, the amount awarded from the scholarship to any one student in a given academic year shall never be greater than 35% of the value of such student’s annual tuition.