Eric Mankin
January 17, 2008 —
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Chevron Corporation Vice President Warner Williams presents check to Viterbi School Dean Yannis Yortsos
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Chevron Vice President Warner Williams today visited the University of Southern California University Park campus to present a check for $200,000 to Dean Yannis C. Yortsos of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, establishing the 2008 Chevron-USC Scholarship and Fellowship Partnership Program.
This investment is part of a company initiative to connect with exceptional talent worldwide, the Chevron’s University Partnership Program (UPP), managed by Eve Sprunt.
“The University Partnership Program builds upon the already strong and longstanding relationship we enjoy with USC, and seeks to further explore and develop the kinds of curricula and industry expertise that will deliver tomorrow’s energy to the markets of the world” Sprunt said.
"The Viterbi School is recognized for leadership and innovation in many areas, but has earned particular distinction for its work in smart oilfield technologies," Williams added.
Yortsos noted the significance of the gift: "Through this partnership, Chevron and USC hope to create an innovative environment for engineering students while accelerating the development of energy resources."
The objectives are to provide educational opportunities for a diverse body of transfer students from junior colleges and to systematically recruit qualified graduate students pursuing MS and PhD degrees to come to the Viterbi School who can focus on research areas for sustainable energy supply systems.
Additionally, Sprunt noted “Chevron places priority on identifying and supporting the best and brightest students in engineering and encouraging them to consider a career at Chevron. Our partnership with USC allows us to recruit from a highly diverse student population.”
The scholarships and fellowships will support education and research in a diverse set of energy topics including Petroleum Engineering, Biofuels, Gas-to-Liquid Technologies, Solar Energy, Fuel Cells, IT-Enabling Energy Efficiency, Membrane Technologies in Environmental Safety and other creative alternative energy resources. The Viterbi School is actively involved in a number of these areas.
Chevron and USC have collaborated since December, 2003 in the Center for Interactive Smart Oilfield Technologies. CiSOFT teams industry engineers with USC faculty to research new models of integrated asset management, data management, improving productivity through the use of such tools as robotics and artificial intelligence, embedded and networked systems and immersive visualization.
In addition to its research program on smart oilfield technologies, the Center offers a Master of Science in the Petroleum Engineering Program with an emphasis on Smart Oilfield Technologies.
The
USC Viterbi School of Engineering now enrolls 1,858 undergraduate and 3,325 graduate students, including 915 Ph.D. students and 2,410 masters degree candidates. About 800 of the latter are pursuing their studies through the school's innovative
Distance Education Network.
Based in San Ramon, Calif., Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading energy companies. With more than 55,000 employees, Chevron subsidiaries conduct business in approximately 180 countries around the world, producing and transporting crude oil and natural gas, and refining, marketing and distributing fuels and other energy products. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information on Chevron is available at
www.chevron.com.
Chevron Vice President Warner Williams (holding check) flanked by the Viterbi School team: from left: Associate Dean of Doctoral Programs Margery Berti; Associate Dean, Admissions and Student Affairs Louise A. Yates; Dean Yannis Yortsos; Professor Iraj Ershaghi, holder of the Omar B. Milligan Chair in Petroleum Engineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering; Carolyn Suckow, Director, Student Affairs for Masters and Professional Programs.
