Odessa College President Gregory Williams stood smiling in front of an oversized cardboard $1.1 million check from the U.S. Department of Education in the Odessa College Wednesday morning.

The check is only half of a two-year grant that will total $2.2 million, which will be used to create a pre-engineering program at OC.

OC hosted the press conference Wednesday morning to announce a grant they received last week that will "create a pathway for Hispanic and low-income students to obtain appropriate skills and credentials, and to become a part of the educated engineering workforce in our region," an OC news release said.

UTPB President David Watts canceled a meeting to be there for Williams to announce the grant.

"He said he was here because I asked him to come," Williams said.

The two institutions plan to work together to build their new initiative, which in response to a need for more engineering students in West Texas.

"We can work together, and we are proving that," Williams said.

A portion of the grant will establish a university transfer center at OC for pre-engineering students who wish to go on to a four-year engineering program, like the one that Watts hopes to have ready by Fall 2009, he said.

Williams said the grant will also go to creating a summer bridge math academy.

THE PROJECT WILL:

>> Establish a university transfer center.

>> Renovate chemistry lab equipment and facilities.

>> Create an engineering lab.

>> Renovate the physics lab equipment and facility.

>> Upgrade the technology in the math lab.

>> Design and host a summer bridge math academy.

 NEW POSITIONS CREATED:

>> Project Director/Articulation Specialist.

>> Transfer Specialist/Summer Bridge Coordinator.

>> Engineering Curriculum Specialist.

>> Secretary.