University of Houston

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2004

Contact: Angie Joe
713/743-8153 (office)
ajoe@uh.edu

HOUSTON, March 29, 2004 – The University of Houston’s Global Energy Management Institute (UH-GEMI) has received a $100,000 grant that will support its efforts to supply the oil and gas industry with specially trained graduates.

UH’s Global Energy Management Undergraduate Honors Program (GEM Track) has been presented with the George and Barbara Bush Excellence in Education Award from the Independent Petroleum Association of America’s (IPAA) Educational Foundation. The grant will support scholarships, internships, curriculum development and marketing efforts for a two-year period.

“Bauer College of Business created the GEM Track to supply the graying oil and gas industry with a new pool of talent. The innovative program blends technical and business curricula so that students are prepared to tackle all aspects of the energy sector,” said Lane Sloan, UH-GEMI executive director. “Through the generosity of the IPAA, we will expand GEM Track and provide a great conduit for graduates seeking employment in the energy sector.”

Currently there are seven students in the GEM Track. The curriculum consists of more rigorous math, economics, natural science, accounting and energy finance requirements than what is required of a typical student. Sloan hopes to more than double the program’s enrollment by Fall 2005.

“The IPAA Educational Foundation is proud to support programs that encourage students to learn about energy issues,” said John B. Walker, IPAA Chairman and president and CEO of EnerVest Management Partners, Ltd.

“Our nation’s oil and gas industry is facing a major workforce challenge in the coming years. Too few young people are entering our industry, as a majority of current workers plan for retirement. The GEM Track program is an ambitious attempt to tackle some of these challenges, and IPAA is proud to recognize the university, and particularly this education program, for its dedication to the study of energy.”

The George and Barbara Bush Excellence in Education Award was established by the IPAA Educational Foundation at the 1997 Wildcatters’ Ball, an annual oil and natural gas industry-funded event held in Houston in February. Past recipients of the award include: YES College Preparatory School, Spring Branch Family Development Center, Small Steps Nurturing Center, Be An Angel Fund, Project Grad and the Offshore Energy Center. The IPAA Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

For more information about the GEM Track, go to http://www.bauer.uh.edu/fina/bba-gem.htm.

About the IPAA

IPAA member companies drill 85 percent of the oil and natural gas wells in the United States and account for 75 percent of the nation's total natural gas supply and 60 percent of America's domestic crude oil production (in the lower-48 states). For more information, visit http://www.ipaa.org/.

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.