Northrop Grumman : ViaSat, Inc. and Optus Award Scholarships to Australian STEM Students

CANBERRA, Australia - April 20, 2018 - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), ViaSat, Inc. and Optus are pleased to award two AU$31,500 scholarships to rural Australian students to study at The Australian National University's Burgmann College.

At a morning tea at Burgmann College Chapel, Ian Irving, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia, awarded scholarships to Eliza Cowley, Goondiwindi QLD, and Aiden Matson, Albany WA. Each student will receive AU$10,500 per year for three years to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at The Australian National University and assist with accommodation expenses.  

 'I'm very proud to present Eliza and Aiden with the Northrop Grumman, ViaSat and Optus, Country Scholarship for Burgmann College. Northrop Grumman believes that investing in higher education is investing in a more knowledgeable and capable future workforce for Australia. We are thrilled to continue this valuable program, and look forward to supporting the next generation of STEM professionals,' said Irving.

'Supporting students who are under-represented in STEM disciplines, particularly young women from regional and rural areas, is an important step towards improving diversity and ultimately benefiting society as a whole - and it's what makes this scholarship so important,' said Professor Mike Calford, provost at The Australian National University. 'Scholarships such as this are integral to ensuring the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers have every opportunity to reach their potential.'

Cowley is pursuing a bachelor of health science degree at The Australian National University. Her family owns a farm in Goondiwindi, where they grow wheat, barley and chick peas as well as raise sheep. She ranked first in her high school cohort in biology, and hopes to obtain a degree in medicine at The Australian National University.

Matson is seeking a bachelor of engineering degree (honours) at The Australian National University. For as long as he can remember, Matson has been a 'tinkerer' and enjoyed woodworking in his father's workshop as a child. In addition to focusing on his studies, he looks forward to collaborating with peers and networking with the industry leaders of the future.

ViaSat is a global broadband services and technology company. The company ensures consumers, businesses, governments and military personnel have communications access - anywhere - whether on the ground or in-flight. For more information, please visit ViaSat at www.viasat.com.  

Optus is Australia's leading commercial satellite provider, with the largest fleet of satellites servicing Australia and New Zealand. For more information please visit http://www.optus.com.au/business/satellite.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Please visit news.northropgrumman.com and follow us on Twitter, @NGCNews, for more information.