Lipp Foundation Most Improved Academic Excellence Award

Lipp Foundation Academic Excellence Award: Most Improved

Requirements:
1. Must be currently enrolled in a minimum of 5 units and must have completed a minimum of 12 units at SWC.
2. Upload unofficial college transcript(s) that demonstrate sufficient achievement toward an academic goal in the program for which this scholarship applies.
3. Include a supplemental statement answering the following (250 -500 words): Reflecting on your personal experiences, values, and specific moments of inspiration, explain what led you to choose this major. Describe any key challenges, influential individuals, or defining experiences that shaped this decision. Additionally, outline your concrete steps—past, present, or planned—that directly reflect your commitment to this field (e.g., leadership roles, research, internships, community service). Be specific about your personal motivations and the impact you hope to make through this path.
4. Must show improvement of at least 0.5 GPA increase in STEM major courses over the last year.
- Must answer the following questions: Which prior semesters demonstrate your academic improvement? What motivated this improvement? How do you plan to maintain this performance?
5. Former winners may not apply.

These Academic Excellence Scholarships have been established on behalf of Dr. David W. Lipp, who sought to further programs that would educate the workforce of tomorrow, particularly in the fields of science and mathematics.
Dr. David W. Lipp was a man of high intelligence. He graduated from Texas A&M in 1966 with a dual major in physics and chemistry. He attended the University of Delaware part-time while serving in the Army, and earned his doctorate at the University of Massachusetts in Amhurst in 1974, specializing in polymer engineering. His subsequent work dealt with polymerization of bromal while in its infancy, inverse oil water emulsion, and oil recovery chemicals, amongst many other things. Proficient in German, he frequently had the task of translating German patents for his employers. David was also an expert in chess and, along with his parents, was an avid musician often playing classical duets and trios on the violin, viola, and cello.