HUNTINGTON -– The Massey Energy Scholarship for Engineering has been established by the Marshall University Foundation Inc., and the first award is planned for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Massey Energy Company, the fourth-largest coal company in the United States based on produced coal revenue, will contribute $20,000 a year for five years, for a total of $100,000. Massey has operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.
The scholarship recipients will be West Virginia residents who are full-time Marshall University sophomores with engineering majors in the College of Information Technology and Engineering (CITE) and minimum grade point averages (GPA) of 2.5.
"It is my hope that these scholarships give some of our best and brightest young people the opportunity to gain the skills and education they need to help all of West Virginia grow economically," said Don Blankenship, Chairman and CEO of Massey Energy. "To ensure that our state has a bright future, we need to do our part to keep and grow high-skill and high-wage jobs.
"These scholarships are a part of making that larger goal a reality."
First preference will be given to students who are from the southern West Virginia counties of Boone, Fayette, Kanawha, Logan, Mingo, Nicholas, Raleigh and Wyoming.
Marshall University engineering students who are from eastern Kentucky, other counties in West Virginia, or other areas of the United States are also encouraged to apply for the scholarship.
Dr. Betsy Dulin, dean of CITE, will select the recipients and renew the awards for up to three years (six semesters) if full-time status and a minimum GPA of 2.5 are maintained.
"Our students and faculty greatly appreciate Massey's support of Marshall's growing engineering program," Dulin said. "Massey's generous gift increases the pipeline of engineers in our region at a time when that profession will play an especially significant role in our economic growth."
*** Massey Energy Scholarship created at Marshall
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
