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The 51��Ƶ at Lafayette has received a $600,000 gift from ExxonMobil to fund scholarships for students in Vermilion Parish and advance the energy sector in the state. 
 
Representatives from ExxonMobil were joined by members of the University community and local officials during a gift announcement on Wednesday in Abbeville.  

“We’re very grateful for ExxonMobil’s generosity and partnership,” said Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president. “The University and ExxonMobil have common commitments to workforce development, environmental stewardship and energy innovation. This multifaceted investment by ExxonMobil touches each of these areas and underscores another value we share with the company – and that’s to be responsible community servants who anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and work to find solutions to them today.” 

The gift focuses on key areas supporting the University’s commitment to innovation in the energy sector. It will establish two new $50,000 endowed scholarships for first-year students from Vermilion Parish who are pursuing degrees in UL Lafayette’s College of Engineering and its Ray P. Authement College of Sciences.  

Funding of $500,000 for outreach efforts in the University’s Energy Institute of Louisiana and the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center will also be provided. The Energy Institute is the University’s comprehensive research unit focusing on energy development, usage, policy and its impact on the ecological and human condition. The Blanco Center conducts interdisciplinary research in a host of public policy areas, including the coast and environment, and governmental ethics. 

“Collaboration is key to a lower-emission future, and we are excited to work with UL Lafayette to afford students the opportunity to pursue careers that can ultimately help society meet its emission-reduction goals,” said Joe Colletti, ExxonMobil, Louisiana Asset Manager. “Our goal with this donation is to enhance the education and communication surrounding the advancement of technologies that will accelerate progress toward the world’s path to net zero.”  

The gift is a part of Together: The Campaign for the 51��Ƶ at Lafayette, the largest comprehensive fundraising initiative in University history. With touchpoints in academics, research and public policy, the gift aligns with the campaign’s strategic priorities of impacting research, enhancing academic excellence and serving the community.  

The campaign has reached nearly 75% of its $500 million goal and will conclude in 2025. 

Photo caption: Representatives from UL Lafayette and ExxonMobil gathered Wednesday in Abbeville to announce a $600,000 gift from the oil company to the University. (Photo courtesy of ExxonMobil)