MILWAUKEE, WI- ASQ has awarded its Richard A. Freund International Scholarship to Salah Ahmad, a University of Houston student earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering technology and technology project management.

Ahmad, a dual citizen of the United States and Pakistan, was awarded the $5,000 scholarship, which is named after a past ASQ president and supports a quality professional’s graduate studies.

“The committee was impressed with his undergraduate and graduate study and work combining mechanical technology and continuous improvement,” says Chuck Aubrey, Freund Scholarship chair and ASQ past chair. “In addition, Ahmad exemplified a commitment and action toward social responsibility and volunteer work.”

Aside from his studies, Ahmad is working to implement total quality management and Lean Six Sigma methodologies at a Houston-area oil and gas equipment manufacturer. He also helped establish the University of Houston ASQ student chapter.

“From an early age, I have been fascinated with engineering and its relationship to quality,” Ahmad says. “I was very fortunate to have met Dr. (Farouk) Attia early in my undergraduate studies at the University of Houston, and to have taken a course in quality control from him that sparked my interest in the field. This scholarship will help me focus on my studies, ensuring that quality is always a part of my life, both personal and professional.”

The Richard A. Freund International Scholarship honors the memory of Richard A. Freund, a past president of ASQ (1972–73). Freund was recognized internationally for his contributions to quality, international goodwill and tireless scholarship. Awarded since 1994, the scholarship supports a candidate’s graduate study of the theory and application of quality control, quality assurance, quality improvement and total quality management. It covers the engineering, statistical, managerial and behavioral foundations of those fields. The scholarship is offered to ASQ members and nonmembers worldwide.