By Edmee CR Hasler, Contributing writer
A new partnership between Roanoke College and TMEIC Corporation Americas is set to offer students more than just scholarships—it promises real-world experience, industry mentorship, and a path to a potential career in one of the region’s most technologically advanced companies.
In a signing ceremony held on the morning of Wednesday, May 28 on Roanoke College’s campus, TMEIC President and CEO Manmeet S. Bhatia and Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. formalized the launch of the TMEIC Scholars program—an initiative designed to cultivate engineering talent in Southwest Virginia.
“This is the first partnership of this kind that TMEIC has entered into,” said Bhatia. “As we grow, we have a need for technical talent—and Roanoke College is doing wonderful things in that direction.”
The program targets engineering science majors at Roanoke College in their junior and senior years. Each year, two students will be selected as TMEIC Scholars, receiving a $10,000 annual scholarship, paid summer internships at TMEIC’s Roanoke County facilities, professional mentorship from both company engineers and Roanoke alumni, and access to career development opportunities such as job shadowing and lab visits.
“We’re opening doors to opportunity,” said Shushok. “When higher education and industry come together with a shared vision, we don’t just prepare students for careers—we prepare them for leadership, service, and a life that matters.”
A Strategic Match
The collaboration was sparked by mutual interests: Roanoke College has been building its engineering science program in recent years, and TMEIC—a global industrial automation and power electronics company headquartered in Houston with a major engineering center in Roanoke County—has been quietly expanding in the region.
“When I came here and learned about TMEIC, my reaction was, ‘Oh my goodness—a powerhouse company, a global company, right next door to Roanoke College,'” said Shushok. “We could learn a lot from them. And that just began a meeting where we continued to get to know each other.”
The initiative is designed to keep young talent in the region while simultaneously helping the company evolve.
“We do exciting things in the world—solar power generation, oil and gas transportation, minerals processing. Our equipment helps fuel spacecraft,” said Bhatia. “And all of that engineering is done right here in Virginia. We need electrical, mechanical, computer science engineers with broad expertise—and this program helps us create a talent pipeline for that.”
The partnership also allows TMEIC to have a voice in shaping academic programs to better reflect real-world industry needs. “We can probably influence the structure of the programs,” Bhatia added. “And we can train them, mentor them, and turn them into employees. It’s mutually beneficial.”
Real Experience, Real Opportunity
For students, the benefits go far beyond the financial. According to Dr. Bryan Cobb, associate professor and coordinator of the college’s engineering science program, it’s about giving students a leg up in the workforce.
“We love getting our students off campus to do internships so that at graduation, they’ve got some work experience,” Cobb said. “They know what working in industry is like, and that’s really going to help them get established in their careers after graduation.”
Shushok echoed that sentiment, noting the value of concurrent academic and professional growth. “The old model is you go to school so that you can find your way into work,” he said. “This is different. You get to do these things side by side, and that’s motivating for young people. The more they see what the opportunities are, the more excited they get about their learning.”
Investing in the Future
For TMEIC, headquartered in Houston with an engineering center in Roanoke County, the initiative also represents a chance to strengthen its regional identity.
“We’ve been here in the valley for about 20 years,” Bhatia said. “But until recently, not many people in the area really knew what TMEIC was. This program helps change that.”
He explained that TMEIC—short for Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation—specializes in high-tech automation, power electronics, and control systems. Their innovations support operations ranging from ports and steel mills to solar farms and deep-sea oil platforms.
“We are a high-tech industrial automation solutions company,” Bhatia said. “We design, manufacture, and install sophisticated power electronic products. And we’re always adapting—because the world is changing, and we want to stay ahead of it.”
With their sights set on the next generation, both partners see this as more than a local workforce initiative—it’s a long-term investment in people and possibility.
“We want our students to feel like they are shaping the future of the world while they’re still in school,” said Shushok. “And TMEIC is giving them a chance to do exactly that.”
The first two TMEIC Scholars will be selected this summer.
