Kettering University professor Dr. Stacy Seeley (center) works on a DNA fingerprinting project with two participants in the Lives Improve Through Engineering (LITE) summer program for high school girls who have completed 11th grade. The PPG Industries Foundation donated $5,000 to Kettering to support the LITE and Academically Interested Minds (AIM) pre-college summer programs.

TROY, Mich., Jan. 25, 2011 – The PPG Industries Foundation has donated $5,000 to Kettering University to support the Academically Interested Minds (AIM) and Lives Improve Through Engineering (LITE) pre-college summer programs for high school students who have completed 11th grade.

"We are very pleased to receive support from PPG for the AIM and LITE summer programs," said Ricky D. Brown, director of pre-college programs, Kettering University. "The grant helps to cover the costs of students’ participation in the programs, which is offered to talented applicants free of charge and funded through corporate donations such as PPG’s."

Academically Interested Minds (AIM) is an award-winning five-week residential summer program designed to help students of color (African American, Hispanic and Native American) make a successful transition from high school to college. Each week, participants attend four days of freshman-level courses and labs taught by Kettering University faculty in science, technology, mathematics and business disciplines, and they visit companies and speak with professional engineers and managers on Fridays.

Lives Improve Through Engineering (LITE) is a two-week residential program introducing girls to what engineers do and how they improve people’s lives, with a focus on bioengineering and the contributions engineers make in designing car seats, crash test dummies, artificial limbs and related products. Participants take classes and conduct labs in biomechanics, vehicle collision analysis and occupant protection, and biochemistry, and they visit crash test facilities and biomedical labs showcasing bioengineers at work.

“PPG is strongly committed to supporting the communities where its employees work and live, especially through educational initiatives,” said Cynthia A. Niekamp, PPG senior vice president, automotive coatings, based at the company’s automotive technology center in Troy, and a member of Kettering University’s board of trustees. “We are proud to support Kettering University in its efforts to recruit talented girls and students of color to participate in these exceptional programs and potentially pursue careers related to science and engineering.”

Established in 1951, the PPG Industries Foundation demonstrates the values of PPG Industries by enhancing the quality of life in communities where the company has a presence. Interests of the foundation, in order of priority, are education, human services, culture and arts, and civic and community affairs. PPG also supports charitable causes by encouraging employee volunteerism and executives’ involvement with nonprofit organizations.

About Kettering University
Located in Flint, Mich., Kettering University is one of the country’s premier professional co-op programs, providing 2,000 undergraduate students with career-based education in engineering, applied sciences, mathematics and business. Founded in 1919, the university also offers 11 graduate programs, including a popular MBA. Kettering University is ranked among the nation’s finest specialty schools by U.S. News and World Report. For further information, visit www.kettering.edu.

About PPG
PPG Industries’ vision is to continue to be the world’s leading coatings and specialty products company. Founded in 1883, the company serves customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, PPG operates in more than 60 countries around the globe. Sales in 2010 were $13.4 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com.

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Contacts:
K.C. McCrory
PPG Corporate Communications
412-434-2445
kmccrory@ppg.com

Patricia A. Mroczek
Kettering University Public Relations
810-762-9533
pmroczek@kettering.edu