BEAUMONT, Texas — The College of Engineering at Lamar University has received what the university's president describes as a "transformative" donation to create an academic and career success center.
Carolyn J. Keating has donated $5 million to the university to fund the new center according to a news release from Lamar University.
Keating, and her late husband Thomas J. Keating, who both graduated from Lamar in 1967, have supported the university in the past with several endowed scholarships according to the release.
The Carolyn J. Keating Center for Academic and Career Success in the College of Engineering will "offer inspiration and guidance to current and prospective LU students considering a career in engineering" according to the release.
“For a century now, our committed alumni and donors have built a robust foundation of support for our students,” Lamar University President Dr. Jaime Taylor was quoted in the news release as saying. “Mrs. Keating's transformative donation not only continues this legacy, but also propels us into a new era of university excellence and national prominence."
The new center will support academic engineering education and help students develop their communication skills, both written and oral, according to the release. This will be accomplished with collaboration from the university's English and Modern Languages department as well as the Communication and Media department.
"Through the Keating Center, we're positioned to educate the next generation of engineers in innovative ways while also actively seeking and cultivating future talent through outreach activities in middle and high schools,” Taylor said in the news release.
The center will also work with industry partners help students with career development opportunities with internships and networking opportunities the release said.
A focus on STEM education outreach by the center will help encourage prospective and current Lamar students to pursue an engineering career according to the school.
Partnerships with industry will supply students with career development growth opportunities through various internships and networking opportunities. The Center will also focus on STEM education outreach to encourage prospective and current students to pursue careers in engineering.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.