Engineering - College of Engineering: Student Scholarship Endowment

Anonymous donors named this Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering student scholarship in tribute to Harvey and Bernice D. Bell, a portion of whose savings ultimately will constitute its total endowment. Harvey loved engineering because it provided daily opportunities to creatively solve problems.

In 1942, Harvey began his career in Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering at U.S. Rubber Company, on their Bullet Sealing Fuel Cells project to protect fighter and bomber aircraft from exploding when hit by anti-aircraft fire. He multiplied the speed of fuel cell production by developing a collapsible and destructible internal mold to replace the metal mold that had to be taken apart manually from the inside of the cell.

Harvey worked on ballistic and anti-ballistic missile programs at Douglas Aircraft and McDonnell Douglas where he supervised manufacturing at three plants: Santa Monica, Long Beach, and Huntington Beach. In 1965, he was elected Senior Member of the American Society of Tool and Manufacturing Engineers.

One of thousands of engineers who contributed to the success of the U.S. Space Program, Harvey worked on the Saturn V Rocket S-IVB stage, the Space Shuttle, and the Lunar Landing Module. He patented a process for Pulsed Arc Welding of non-ferrous metals that enabled manufacture of the Lunar Landing Module. When Apollo 13 Astronauts didn’t have enough fuel to return to Earth, and were flipping coins to determine which of them would attempt the return, Harvey suggested a strategy that was used to get them all back.

Harvey credited his wife Bernice for making his devotion to the demands of his engineering career possible. He said that his best ideas for solving engineering problems came to him in his sleep, so he kept a note pad on the nightstand beside the bed at night.

Harvey was also a horseman. He enjoyed the Arabian horse shows at Kellogg Ranch. Both he and Bernice looked forward, each year, to the CSU Cal Poly Pomona and CSU San Luis Obispo joint float entry in the Pasadena Rose Parade. Though they did not study at Cal Poly, they would be delighted that part of their legacy is helping students pursue an Engineering Degree at Cal Poly Pomona University.

Purpose: To provide scholarship support to an undergraduate student of Mechanical, Aerospace, and/or Manufacturing Engineering who has demonstrated strong academic achievement and calculated financial need.

Criteria:

• Students must be a sophomore, junior, or senior (Transfer students admitted for spring 2025 are eligible to apply)
• Major must be Mechanical, Aerospace, or Manufacturing Engineering
• CPP or Cumulative GPA must be 3.2 or above
• Must be enrolled full-time student during award period
• Limited to students with a calculated financial need (must have completed a 2025-2026 Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application)

We encourage all students, including first-generation, diverse, low-income, and underrepresented students, to apply.

This annual scholarship will be awarded to individuals who are self-starters, leaders, team players, and multi-disciplined in focus. This scholarship is renewable for up to two years so long as they continue to meet the specified criteria.

As a scholarship recipient, you will be invited to attend the College of Engineering Scholarship Conferral luncheon. Please monitor your email regularly for details. While this event is not mandatory, it is a unique opportunity for you to meet the donor. We highly recommend that you make every effort to attend.

To begin the application process, please complete your general application first, then proceed to search this scholarship in the “Opportunities>>Recommended” Tab and click on APPLY.