UACCM Receives $100,000 for Petroleum Technology Program

Posted: February 13, 2009

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The support of companies working in the natural gas industry in the Fayetteville Shale play allowed the Fayetteville Shale Scholarship Fund for the third year to aid students pursuing careers in the oil and natural industry. Dr. B. Alan Sugg, the University of Arkansas System president, hosted members of the scholarship fund Tuesday, Feb. 10, as they presented the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM) with a $100,000 contribution to support the school’s petroleum technology program.

Students enrolled in the community college program were present to accept scholarships awarded through the organization’s donation. The scholarships will help students pay for tuition, fees and books. The UACCM scholarship committee and petroleum technology faculty members selected the scholarship winners.

“In order for an industry to grow, there must be exceptional talent behind it. The UACCM petroleum technology program has helped produce this talent in Arkansas,” said Keith Waddell, president of the Fayetteville Shale Scholarship Fund. “The companies working in the Fayetteville Shale have shown they believe in the industry and these students by supporting our organization.”

The petroleum technology program at UACCM is one of a kind in Arkansas, and it is paving the way for students to become a part of the growing natural gas industry. Since the program began in 2006, enrollment has grown from 30 students to approximately 200, a 537 percent increase. It is among a handful of two-year petroleum technology certification programs nationwide and includes studies in drilling, gathering and field operations and is now the largest applied technology program on the UACCM campus. As of December 2008, 94 percent of students graduating from the petroleum technology program at UACCM were working in the natural gas industry.

“We are preparing students for promising futures in a number of developing fields associated with the Fayetteville Shale play. Beginning a new program in petroleum technology would not have been a viable financial option for UACCM without the support of the petroleum industry, and Southwestern Energy Company who stepped up with initial seed money to start the program,” said Nathan Crook, UACCM chancellor.

Established in 2006, the Fayetteville Shale Scholarship Fund is a volunteer organization with members representing companies working in the Fayetteville Shale play. The group’s mission is to encourage and

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enable individuals to pursue educational opportunities that will prepare them for jobs in Arkansas’s oil and gas industry by:

providing financial support through scholarships;
raising awareness for careers in the oil and gas industry; and
creating goodwill for the industry and its contributions to local communities and the state.

The group’s primary focus is to raise funds to assist students enrolled in the UACCM petroleum technology program. The UACCM scholarship committee then awards scholarships based on financial need and grade point average.

“As you can tell from the many corporate participants in the Fayetteville Shale Scholarship Fund, the industry as a whole has been very supportive of the program,” Crook said. “Collectively, these companies have provided technical assistance, guest speakers, demonstration equipment and a tremendous scholarship program for UACCM petroleum technology students.”

Aside from its scholarship program, the organization seeks to create awareness for careers in the oil and gas industry. This year’s officers include: president, Keith Waddell, KT Rock; vice president, George Sheffer, Southwestern Energy Company; secretary/treasurer, Marilyn Reiter.

For more information contact:

Mary Clark, UACCM (501) 977 2011, or clark@uaccm.edu
Holly Gilbert, Mitchell Communications Group, (479) 443 4673, or holly@mitchcommgroup.com