Hira Fotedar, a native of Kashmir, India, came to the University of Washington to obtain his MS and PhD in Metallurgical Engineering in 1966. At the same time that he began his studies, Tom Stoebe started as a professor in Materials Science and Engineering. Hira became Tom's first student and helped Tom develop the laboratory infrastructure to support his research.

After receiving his degrees, Hira joined Imperial College in London, England, as a post-doctoral research fellow. He then worked at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energia Nuclear at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, followed by 28 years with the Eaton Corporation, before founding his own consulting firm. He credits his time at the UW and with Professor Stoebe for much of his success in life and always wanted to give back in some way.

By making a gift to the endowed fellowship fund established by Professor Stoebe, Hira was able to honor his mentor, teacher and advisor. He also served as chair of the Stoebe campaign to bolster fundraising efforts. His gift and leadership combined with support from other alumni to the Stoebe fellowship has helped many aspiring UW materials science students. When Hira saw the impact the Stoebe Fellowship Fund had on student's lives, he was inspired to establish his own endowed graduate fellowship.