Tedric A. Harris Bearing Industry Scholarship

About the ABMA Scholarship Program

In honor of Professor Tedric A. Harris, ABMA established a program for interns or co-op participants at ABMA member companies in 2011. This year, the association will focus on honoring engineering students who have completed internships or co-ops at ABMA member companies in the bearing field.

The ABMA Education Committee will select two outstanding applicants to receive $2,500 each towards their education.

The 2025 application submission period is now OPEN.

The deadline to apply is September 26, 2025.

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION

Requirements for All Applicants

Applicants must be an undergraduate student at a college or university, having completed at least two years of courses in ABET accredited engineering curriculum with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Applicants must have completed an internship or co-op at an ABMA member company* during 2024 or before the end of the Spring 2025 semester.

Applicants must submit the following items:

Completed ABMA scholarship application.
An essay upon completion of the internship describing your experience, work performed, and how you benefited from the placement.
Letter of recommendation and signature from your internship supervisor.
Undergraduate transcript.
Up-to-date resume or curriculum vitae.

Email completed application and supporting documents to the American Bearing Manufacturers Association’s Education Manager, Stephanie Smialek, via email at [email protected]. Please use email subject line: ABMA Scholarship Application.

For further information please contact ABMA at [email protected] or 703.842-0030

*_{Current ABMA member companies.}

About Professor Tedric A. Harris

Throughout his productive career, Professor Tedric A. Harris contributed significantly to the bearing industry both as a professor in mechanical engineering and in private industry. Professor Harris has been a role model and mentor for numerous young engineers in the bearing field and many of his mentees have become leaders in the field through their work within their companies and the American Bearing Manufacturing Association.

As an employee for SKF USA Inc. and AB SKF, Professor Harris’s key positions included Managing Director the of SKF Engineering & Research Center in the Netherlands and in the United States, Vice President Product Technology and Quality, President of SKF Tribonetics and Vice President of Engineering and Research for MRC Bearings.

Professor Harris received both his B.S and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University and where he was appointed as a professor of mechanical engineering following his retirement from private industry in 1991. In addition to holding three U.S. patents, Professor Harris has authored more than 60 technical publications, including the industry standard Roller Bearing Analysis, now in its fifth edition.