By Avery McKinney
ExxonMobil Corporation presented a check for $28,500 to the deans of the College of Engineering and Technology, the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the Marriott School of Management on Friday, Oct. 10 during an open house for the College of Engineering and Technology.
“It”s a pretty impressive thing that they do here,” said David Anthony, associate dean of the College of Engineering and Technology. “For us, this is significant because their contributions are huge.”
According to Bruce Hamaker, manager for ExxonMobil, the money is intended to support engineering, computer sciences and the business school.
ExxonMobil is one of the largest recruiters at BYU, and the money goes to fields that the company might recruit from in the future.
“We are one of the key schools for ExxonMobil,” Anthony said. “It isn”t a matter of $28,500. What”s important is that they recruit students.”
The money is not earmarked for research, but will be used by the different departments in needed areas. Anthony said the money goes to schools that produce “top-notch” programs
“We intend to use the money to support the activities of the department,” Anthony said. “ExxonMobil allows us to use it in any way that we see fit.”
Anthony said the money would go toward scholarships and mentoring.
“This allows a student who would not normally have the opportunity to be paid for doing research or other activities to be paid while being mentored by an instructor,” Anthony said.
ExxonMobil has not only donated to specific colleges at BYU, but to the general funds of the university as well. In June, the company donated $104,500 to BYU, most of which went to general funds.
“This money goes to general school funds to pay for education that the whole campus benefits from,” Anthony said. “The reason that ExxonMobil”s contributions are so important is that they help students all across campus in every discipline.
The donation was a part of the company”s matching-gift program. ExxonMobil is the largest matching-gift corporation donator for BYU, and matches three dollars to every one dollar that an employee donates.
Retired vice president of ExxonMobil”s research and engineering, Ben Markham, said the program is something that students should look for when they find a job.
“It”s important for students to find out if a company has a match-gift program,” Markham said.
