KNOXVILLE — A corporate contribution from the URS Corp. to the College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is helping to build a program that will enable budding engineers to broaden their horizons.
URS Corp. is a fully integrated engineering, construction and technical services organization with an office in Oak Ridge. The company’s gift will enable the college to establish the Engineering Global Initiatives Fund, which will allow engineering honors students the opportunity to study abroad.
Engineering honors students are required to have an international experience, but with an increase of more than 100 percent in the number of freshman honors students this year, creating unique academic international opportunities for each student is challenging. The donated funds will be used for course development, faculty-led programs and general support of the global experience goals within the Engineering Honors Program.
“We are pleased that URS Corp. has joined the College of Engineering in our quest to provide our students with an outstanding global experience,” said College of Engineering Dean Wayne Davis. “We appreciate URS taking a leadership role in helping us fund this critically important endeavor, and we look forward to furthering our relationship with them.”
“URS has a global presence, and with the expansion of our international markets, we are increasingly aware of the need for engineers in our country to have opportunities to work abroad. In partnership with the University of Tennessee, we are proud to assist with the development of the Global Initiatives Fund,” said James Smith, president of URS’ Safety Management Solutions.
Smith will present the contribution to the college after the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC) meeting at 8:45 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2010. ETEC is located at 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
URS Corp.’s gift is part of the university’s $1 billion fundraising campaign, the Campaign for Tennessee. The most ambitious effort in the university’s history, the campaign places UT among the ranks of the nation’s largest public and private institutions that have sought this level of private support.
The campaign secures private gifts through contributions, pledges and planned giving to advance the university’s strategic goals that include improving student access and success, research and economic development, outreach and globalization. More than 98 percent of all gifts are designated for a specific purpose or program, such as scholarships or endowed professorships, and help provide the vital resources to advance key initiatives.
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C O N T A C T :
Nathan Zipper (865-974-0323, nzipper@utk.edu)
Whitney Holmes (865-974-5460, wholmes7@utk.edu)