Receiving a Camras Scholarship is one of IIT’s highest undergraduate academic honors. The Camras Scholars Program challenges the top 1% of our applicant pool to apply and interview with a faculty member for a place as a Camras Scholar. With enhanced access to research and service in addition to leadership development and a full tuition scholarship benefit, the Camras Scholars Program brings our best students together with our best opportunities.
Marvin Camras
The Camras Scholars Program is named for Marvin Camras (EE ‘40, MS ‘42), a pioneer in magnetic recording technology and IIT alumnus, professor, and community leader. Marvin Camras worked his entire life on improving means for creating recordings, including the invention of modern magnetic tape, which, for a few decades in the early days of computing, was the storage medium of choice. Camras received more than five hundred patents during his lifetime, nearly all of which dealt with recording technology. Some of his inventions included wire recorders, magnetic sound for motion pictures, and multitrack tape machines.
Meet the Scholars
Camras Scholars lead the campus in athletics, leadership, service, entrepreneurship, and research – the Camras Pathways to Professional Excellence. Camras Scholars have solved age-old problems in structural engineering, developed novel methods for improving campus life, and increased the overall academic and social ethic of their fellow students in just over a decade.
Post-Graduation
But where do Camras Scholars go after IIT? Two big names are Caterpillar and NASA. Many go on to prestigious graduate programs. Other scholars have returned to their hometowns to make an impact in community organizations. The interprofessional spirit at IIT makes for more than just good engineers, scientists, and architects. It challenges our students to go beyond their fields of study and learn about the world around them, and the Camras Scholars embody this challenge.
Applying
Candidates competing for the scholarship must satisfy high selection standards. Students must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, involvement in extracurricular activities and dedication to leadership.
Consideration for this scholarship is on an invitation basis. Finalists must attend Scholarship Weekend in early February on IIT's Main Campus. Students will RSVP and submit a resume before the weekend. Finalists will interview with a faculty member, meet current Camras Scholars, and stay for the weekend in a fraternity/sorority house or residence hall. The award decisions will be mailed promptly after Scholarship Weekend. Any questions can be directed toward the Office of Undergraduate Admission (http://admissions.iit.edu/undergraduate/).
WHAT EVEN IS CAMRAS ANYWAY?
