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Sudbury engineering firm establishes scholarships in memory of late founder

Investments from Ionic Mechatronics will support students pursuing engineering careers
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Steve Matusch (second from right) is pictured with the team at Black Rock Engineering in 2015. As the founder of Ionic Mechatronics, the company has created two scholarships in his memory. (File photo)

Ionic Mechatronics in Sudbury has created new scholarships in memory of the company’s founder, Steve Matusch, who died in March from cancer that developed from a rare liver disease.

“Though we grieve the loss of our founder and mentor, we are excited to help build the next generation of automation experts,” said the company in a news release.

The company has set up scholarships for the mechatronics programs at Laurentian University and Cambrian College.

Laurentian University now boasts the Steve Matusch Memorial Mechatronics Award. The award will go to a full-time student who chooses the mechatronics stream in their third year of engineering.

The Ionic Mechatronics Steve Matusch Memorial Scholarship has been established at Cambrian College and will be awarded to a student enrolled full-time in the second or third year of the mechatronics program. 

In both cases, the scholarships will be awarded to the student who demonstrates an aptitude and passion for mechatronics and enjoys a hands-on approach. 

Matusch founded Ionic Mechatronics in the late 1990s to fill a need for industrial automation in Northern Ontario. It allowed him to pursue his passion for automating complex systems while enjoying the beauty of Northern Ontario and the lifestyle it provided. 

What started out as a passion project in his garage has grown into a global, multi-million-dollar business with more than 100 highly skilled technical careers.

Matusch was an advocate for post-secondary education and was very supportive of hiring local graduates.

– Sudbury.com