SPE-GCS Scholarship Endowment Fund

Helping Our Science and Engineering Students with their Future Careers

 

MISSION STATEMENT

SPE-GCS Scholarship Endowment Fund donations provide financial assistance to engineering, math and science students to aid in the development of their future careers in the energy industry. By making a tax-deductible donation to the Scholarship Endowment Fund you are directly impacting the future scientists and engineers in the Gulf Coast Section.

A Message from SPE-GCS Board of Directors and Executive Committee

The Society of Petroleum Engineers - Gulf Coast Section (SPE-GCS) enhances technical knowledge among our members through local events, promotes camaraderie and networking in our industry, educates and serves the community, and has been supporting education for over 50 years by providing scholarships for promising local students entering the energy industry. With rising tuition costs, SPE-GCS has been diligent in increasing our scholarship funding over the past 15 years, but we have had to cut back both the number and amount of our scholarships during the recent downturn.

The key objective of our scholarship program is to increase interest in the energy industry among graduating high school seniors and help retain college students currently enrolled in energy-related academic disciplines. These scholars are the future of energy development, finding solutions to, and assisting the industry in, the multi-decades transition to a less carbon-intensive energy environment, while also meeting the huge future energy demand.  Additionally, the SPE-GCS collaborates with Communities in School Houston (CISH) to help at-risk students in the Greater Houston area attend college. Former recipients of our SPE scholarships have gone on to have successful careers in energy and other industries, and some now hold key executive positions in internationally reputed firms.

In 2015, the SPE-GCS Board of Directors launched our Scholarship Endowment Fund (SEF) to ensure that we will always be able to fund an adequate number of scholarships, even during industry downturns. The goal of the SEF is $6 million. To date, we have made reasonable progress in growing this fund through donations from individuals and organizations affiliated with our society. We kindly invite you to consider making a donation in support of our fundraising efforts so we can guarantee our scholarships to our hardworking student recipients. Additionally, please consider whether your company can match your gift as this would help to reach our goal more quickly.

History of the SPE-GCS Scholarship Program

The Society of Petroleum Engineers – Gulf Coast Section has been providing college scholarships for students interested in math, science, and engineering degrees since 1963. Our program has sponsored over 800 students in the 56 years that we have been awarding scholarships and we have given out over $5 million in scholarships. In addition, SPE-GCS donated to several other endowment funds, such as Lone Star College and Houston Community College foundations, to support their scholarship programs.

Current Status of the SPE-GCS Scholarship Program

The SPE-GCS currently has a total of 38 scholarship recipients in the program for 2020-21 academic year, and our goal is to award at least 8-10 new scholarships every year. The current scholarship amount is $2000 per semester for each recipient, renewable for up to 4 years based on academic achievements, extracurricular and leadership activities, as well as interest in pursuing a career in the energy industry. Graduating high school seniors who are permanently residing in one the 29 counties in the Gulf Coast Section and are planning to study science or engineering as a freshman in college are eligible to receive an SPE-GCS scholarship. After the first year, students must meet certain requirements to remain eligible for subsequent scholarship renewals.

The SPE-GCS is organized as a supporting organization to SPE by its corporate charter, and is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. We are pleased to provide recognition and benefits to donors and hope you will consider making a contribution to the SPE-GCS Scholarship Endowment Fund. For further information, please contact:

James Barry, SPE-GCS Education Committee Chair 2020/2021 (jbarry@turbochem.com)

Richard Murphy, Scholarship Endowment Fund Chair 2020/2021

(stancal@windstream.net)

DOWNLOAD THE SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND BROCHURE

DONATE NOW

If you would like to make a donation to the SPE-GCS Scholarship Fund, please use our online donation form to quickly show your support!

Need to mail in your contribution? Download the Scholarship Fund Donation Form and send to our offfice.

All donations are tax-deductible.

Check to see if your company has a matching program and can match your individual donation!

 

For further information, please contact:

SPE Gulf Coast Section Manager
Society of Petroleum Engineers Gulf Coast Section
10777 Westheimer, Suite 1075
Houston, TX 77042
Phone number: 713.457.6813
Fax number: 713.779.4216
Email address: spe-gcs@spe.org

OUR DONORS

SPE-GCS would like to express our deepest gratitude to the following donors for supporting the SPE-GCS Scholarship Fund:

 

2020 Honor Roll

Ambassador (Gifts of $250,000 to $499,999)

  • SPE Gulf Coast Section

 

Platinum (Gifts of $10,000 to $49,999)

  • Ivor Ellur
  • Ravindhra Meka

Gold (Gifts of $1,000 to $9,999)

  • Sarah Bacho
  • Alvin Barber
  • Thomas Blasingame
  • Trish Buchanan
  • Simeon Eburi
  • Chiedozie Ekweribe
  • Robin Fielder
  • Deepak Gala
  • Kevin Gibbons
  • Phil Grossweiler
  • Roger Hite
  • Sarath Pavan Ketineni
  • George King
  • Alex Mccoy
  • Gabby Morrow
  • Richard Murphy
  • Kim Padeletti
  • Kimberly Stith
  • Johnny & Vicki Rau
  • Kermit Waldrond
  • WPX

 

PAST SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT TESTIMONIALS

Your donation changes lives for many aspiring petroleum engineers.

Read their stories.