ExxonMobil Corporation announced recently that it has contributed $2 million in departmental grants to 81 colleges and universities throughout the country to support various academic programs.

Through this program, UA received $17,000 from ExxonMobil. The College of Engineering received $10,000, which was split among the departments of chemical and environmental engineering, aerospace and mechanical engineering, and mining and geological engineering. The geosciences department received the remaining $7,000.

The grant allows selected academic departments to allocate the money for various educational purposes, including scholarships, field trips, visiting speakers, equipment purchases, and student and faculty travel to academic events such as conferences.

ExxonMobil awards the grants based on which schools offer degrees in subjects from which it recruits employees.

"Supporting higher education has always been a strong priority for ExxonMobil," said Truman Bell, senior program officer for education and diversity at ExxonMobil. "This program enables us to provide funding to colleges and universities who play a pivotal role in preparing students to enter the workforce."