The University of Texas of the Permian Basin announced Wednesday that it has received a $500,000 donation from J.L. Davis of Midland toward the chemical engineering program.
The program will be housed on the third floor of the new UTPB Engineering Building near the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center.
A Midland native Davis has diverse enterprises, predominately in midstream and downstream energy activities, plus other interests including banking, aviation, wholesale and retail fuel activities and convenience store locations, a news release said.
“Over the years we have employed a number of accounting or other related degrees from UT Permian Basin in our Midland office, including several engineering graduates,” Davis said in the news release. “The addition of the chemical engineering program is a great step.”
UTPB President Sandra Woodley said the university owes a debt of gratitude to Davis for his “tremendous generosity and visionary thinking.”
“This donation will help strengthen our faculty and shape the lives of our students for generations to come,” Woodley added in the release.
In fall 2019, engineering students at UT Permian Basin will begin classes in the new, 94,000-square-foot College of Engineering.
