Whiting Petroleum Corp. Gives $40,000 to SDSM&T
Rapid City, SD (PRWEB) August 06, 2013 -- Whiting Petroleum Corp. has given $40,000 to the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Department of Geology & Geological Engineering for student support.
The partnership between the School of Mines and Whiting will enhance efforts to recruit top science and engineering students and build collaborative geoscience research, education and outreach efforts. Enrollment in the geology and geological engineering program has increased dramatically in the last five years with a 52 percent rise in undergraduate programs and a 69 percent jump in graduate programs.
Whiting’s gift will largely be used to enhance graduate student support, which will aid in recruiting students interested in energy sector careers. The gift will also support undergraduate and graduate student research and training opportunities, including travel for field trips, professional meetings and workshops.
The department is augmenting existing faculty research and teaching strengths through new hires in strategic areas to elevate programs to national prominence. A new faculty member with expertise in basin analysis and tectonics will arrive in August and contribute significantly to research and teaching in petroleum-related fields.
About SDSM&T
Founded in 1885, the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a science and engineering research university located in Rapid City, S.D., offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The university enrolls more than 2,400 students from 32 countries, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1. The average starting salary for 2012 graduates was $62,696 with a 98 percent placement rate. Find us online at http://www.sdsmt.edu, on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sdsmt and on Twitter @sdsmt.
Fran LeFort, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, http://www.sdsmt.edu, 605-394-6082, [email protected]
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