Exxon Mobil donated $65,000 to the LSU Foundation last Tuesday, continuing a trend of heavy interaction between the University and the energy giant over the past decades.
At the presentation of the donation check in Union Square on Oct. 8, Exxon Mobil Baton Rouge Refinery Manager Mark Northcutt described the relationship between the University and the corporation as a “longtime partnership in nurturing innovative, skilled students to help meet the demand for skilled workers.”
Though last week’s donation was earmarked to be used by the College of Engineering, the College of Business, the College of Science and Career Services, Exxon has made large donations to various divisions of the University in the past.
Sara Crow, communications director for the LSU Foundation, said the Foundation does not release records of private donations, though many large donations are publicized with Exxon’s consent. Because the records are private, she said, it’s difficult to pinpoint how much Exxon has donated recently.
However, Crow said Exxon is considered a top-tier donor in the Foundation’s giving society, which means the corporation has donated a total of more than $10 million to the University.
Many of Exxon’s donations come through the company’s philanthropy matching program, Crow said.
The matching program allows Exxon employees to donate to an organization of their choice with the promise that the company will match their donation. For every dollar donated by an employee, Exxon donates $3, Crow said.
Notable recent matching donations to the University include more than $1.7 million for various University colleges, the AgCenter and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2011.
Crow said the large number of University alumni working for Exxon Mobil drives the consistently high donation numbers.
Mimi LaValle, director of communications for the College of Engineering, said Exxon works consistently with the college to offer internships and professional development for engineering students. The company has a distinct focus on the inclusion of minority students, she said.
Exxon offers a scholarship for minority engineering students aligned with Exxon’s needs, the Exxon Mobil Scholars Program. African-American, Hispanic and Native American students are given priority for the $3,000 annual scholarship.
The scholarship also offers engineering students a chance to pair with a current Exxon employee in their field of study who acts as a mentor. LaValle said the students often cite the ability to work one-on-one with a mentor as the most helpful part of the program.
“The program provides a lot of great things for the students,” LaValle said. “Not only is it good for professional development, it helps them grow as a person.”