OLD DOMINION STUDENT SELECTED AS GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLAR

Senior Jing Mei of Old Dominion University was recently named a Gates Millennium Scholar for his success in the areas of electrical and computer engineering.

Mei, a Norfolk resident who immigrated to America from China in 1993, is majoring in computer engineering with a minor in electrical engineering. He ranks fourth in a class of 169 juniors and seniors, and is a member of the honorary organizations Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu.

As a Gates Scholar, Mei receives a merit-based scholarship that will cover his remaining college costs and possibly the cost of graduate school.

The Gates Millennium Scholars 20-year initiative is funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and administered by the United Negro College Fund in partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the American Indian College Fund.

The foundation seeks to increase the number of African Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Pacific Americans and Hispanic Americans enrolling in or completing undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation established the scholarship as a way to encourage and help 20,000 minority students complete college and continue to earn master's and doctoral degrees in disciplines where ethnic and racial groups are currently underrepresented.

To be eligible for nomination, minority students must have a GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, be accepted into or enrolled full time in an accredited four-year undergraduate degree program, or accepted or enrolled in a graduate degree program in mathematics, science, engineering, education or library science. Students must also show leadership skills and community involvement and demonstrate significant financial need.

The scholarships are renewable annually based on academic performance.