Prairie View A&M University to receive $1.35M from BP's new HBCU Fellowship Program
BP's new HBCU Fellowship Program — which includes Prairie View A&M University and just two other schools nationwide — will provide students with scholarship funding, exposure to the energy industry and career development experience.
The HBCU Fellowship Program provides students with scholarships, career development opportunities, and exposure to the energy sector. Over a three-year span, the funds will provide five scholarships per school for a total 45 scholarships. The criteria for selecting the students who will receive the scholarships were developed by the universities and BP. Students from the United States who are interested in energy and have a minimum 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply. A committee of university faculty will select the recipients with input from BP. Mark Crawford, BP’s senior vice president for global diversification, equity, and inclusion, stated that 'We need to have the best and brightest talent as our company transforms'. BP stated that the funding and the program are part of the company's larger goal to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce and customers. Dave Lawler, BP America president and chairman, stated that the HBCU Fellowship Program will help the company build a steady workforce pipeline in the future. Prairie View A&M President Ruth Simmons stated that BP's commitment is in line with Prairie View A&M University’s mission to prepare today's students for leadership roles in the most important sectors of our global economy. 'We are grateful to have the opportunity to partner with BP. The university has received many multimillion-dollar donations over the course of Simmons' tenure from well-known corporations, individuals, and organizations. One month later, Houston's Halliburton Co. (NYSE : HAL), gave $1 million to PVAMU to help fund new scholarships. Charles Butt (chairman and CEO of San Antonio-based H-E-B LP) contributed $5 million in November 2021 to establish the Founders Scholarships. These scholarships are for students attending Texas public high schools. In July 2021, PVAMU received $4 million from the Houston-based Brown Foundation Inc. In January 2022, Prairie View and Shell Global Solutions entered into a multimillion-dollar deal for diversity, research, and innovation. The five-year, $5 million partnership between PVAMU and Shell Nature Based Solutions Research Program is located in the college's College of Agriculture and Human Sciences. Shell also committed $1 million to PVAMU in support of diversity and inclusion.