Every graduate will be prepared to compete and succeed.
The University of Wyoming will achieve excellence in research important to the state.
The University will interact with the constituents of the state.
The above statements are the goals outlined by UW president Dick McGinity on the direction he wants to see the university take in the near future.
The stairs and railings of the State Capitol building were packed with people as the House of Representatives broke for an announcement on the newest energy partnership between Halliburton and the University of Wyoming on Tuesday morning.
UW prides itself on having a multitude of relationships within the energy field. Halliburton is just the next step on the ladder.
Halliburton made a donation of $3 million to the University, all of which the state has agreed to match.
This brings the University closer to its goal of $15 million in privately funded donations for upgrading the university’s engineering, energy, research and academic programs. Gov. Matt Mead alluded that the last $2 million may also be in the works with more information to come over the next few weeks.
McGinity said it was a “great day for Wyoming and it’s a great day for the University…Halliburton is a world class leading edge company.”
Our partnership with Halliburton will make us that much closer to being a tier one engineering school, which is another goal that we have as a university.
Of the money donated, $2 million will go to the construction of the UW High Bay research facility, and the remaining $1 million will go towards research conducted by UW in the interests of Halliburton.
However, will the money that the state is matching go to the same things? Not everyone is as thrilled with the idea of taxpayer dollars being used for a private company.
Laramie resident and single mom Marie Peters said “While I support the university and all that it does, I would like to see my money going to something that would benefit the citizens of Laramie like myself.”
These concerns should not go unheeded. While the donations are impressive, it is important to have the support of local Wyoming communities.
In other aspects, this partnership shows the world that UW is a school to be reckoned with. McGinity stated that the university has “already been approached by a few potential faculty members in the areas that the university is focused on.”
With that in mind, perhaps the money the state legislature approved to match the privately donated funds could go to other causes within the university, such as an increased salary for faculty. There is potential for great growth at the university, and in more that just our engineering department.
