UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State has received a significant grant from Chevron Technology Corporation to support student programs, research infrastructure, and scholarships/fellowships in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the Smeal College of Business, as well as program support for the Palmer Museum of Art and THON.
"Chevron’s relationship with Penn State continues to deepen over time, and their investments in our students and programs are having an important impact across our institution," said President Rodney A. Erickson. "Through this latest grant, the company is affirming its belief in the University’s future and its commitment to our mission of education, research and service. We are grateful for their support, and we are excited to see what the next phase of our collaboration yields both for Penn State and for Chevron."
The grant was awarded through the company’s University Partnership Program (UPP), which provides funding to key U.S. and international colleges and universities with whom the company partners in multiple areas. These holistic partnerships include opportunities to integrate University programs with Chevron’s research and development, corporate responsibility, human resources/recruiting and leadership teams.
In general, the goals of the program are to:
-- Develop the technical knowledge, leadership skills, and work experience of students entering the energy industry to enable their success in the global marketplace;
-- Increase the pool of women and minority students in science and technical fields;
-- Collaborate on those initiatives that connect University students with Chevron, increasing the company's brand and visibility on campus.
Chevron, the second-largest integrated oil company in the United States and among the largest corporations in the world, considers Penn State to be a strategic school -- one that is critical to the company in terms of recruiting and research. For 2012, Chevron presented a contribution of $549,500 to Penn State, an 82 percent increase over their donation of $300,500 in 2011, and a significant jump from the approximately $200,000 the company contributed in 2009.
This year’s grant will support several initiatives across the University including field trips and travel, diversity programming, laboratory upgrades, and student organizations in the College of Earth & Mineral Sciences; student projects, diversity programming, and career development programs in the College of Engineering; professional development and recruiting events in the Smeal College of Business; and University-wide events such as the Palmer Museum of Art Gala and the IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, or THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, raising funds to conquer pediatric cancer.
“Chevron is proud to continue its support of Penn State University through our University Partnership Program,” said Bruce Niemeyer, vice president, Appalachian/Michigan Business Unit, Chevron Corporation. “Our partnership with Penn States is a strategic part of Chevron’s efforts to hire top-quality students who are necessary to help us meet energy demands around the world. With the recent establishment of our office in the Pittsburgh area to develop our assets in the Appalachian Basin, our partnership with Penn State to provide top talent and critical research is even more important.”
The grant from Chevron will help the University to reach the goals of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, which is directed toward a shared vision of Penn State as the most comprehensive, student-centered research university in America. The University is engaging Penn State’s alumni and friends as partners in achieving six key objectives: ensuring student access and opportunity, enhancing honors education, enriching the student experience, building faculty strength and capacity, fostering discovery and creativity, and sustaining the University’s tradition of quality. The campaign’s top priority is keeping a Penn State degree affordable for students and families. The For the Future campaign is the most ambitious effort of its kind in Penn State’s history, with the goal of securing $2 billion by 2014.