ConocoPhillips announced on Thursday a nearly $1.2 million multi-year donation, consisting of both in-kind equipment and monetary contributions, to Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) to support student development of skills in engineering and business analytics for undergraduates.
“We are honored to help advance engineering and business analytics at PVAMU and to equip the next generation with the skills necessary to challenge themselves, innovate in their fields and develop new approaches to real-world problems,” said Heather Sirdashney, senior vice president, Human Resources and Real Estate and Facilities Services at ConocoPhillips.
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The multi-year contribution will consist of the following:
- $498,000 of in-kind lab equipment donations made in 2021 to support the College of Engineering lab and engage students and professors through collaborative research;
- $200,000 to complete the buildout of the state-of-the-art ConocoPhillips engineering lab;
- $300,000 to increase enrollment in and provide student scholarships for the business analytics minor in the College of Business, and fund additional professors, tutors and mentors; and
- $200,000 to increase enrollment in and provide student scholarships for the engineering and business Summer Bridge Program, which has demonstrated a positive impact on graduation rates.
“PVAMU provides ConocoPhillips with top talent,” said Cassandra Corley, manager of Business Capabilities at ConocoPhillips and the company’s executive sponsor for PVAMU. “We’re proud to continue supporting the university and its students through this investment.”
In addition to the contribution, ConocoPhillips said it will also provide annual support to Prairie View A&M to fund scholarships, programs and faculty.
“Partnerships, such as this one with ConocoPhillips, are the reason we lead the nation in producing top engineering talent,” shared Ruth Simmons, PVAMU president. “From providing scholarship opportunities to increasing our faculty capacity to investing in the infrastructure of our new state-of-the-art engineering building, ConocoPhillips is furthering its commitment to PVAMU and our students will be all the better for it.”