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Nexen Inc. has donated funds to support the creation of a $600,000 endowment fund – and the University of Lethbridge's single largest corporate-funded award for graduate students.
September 25, 2008
Lethbridge Alberta -- Nexen Inc., an independent, Canadian-based global energy company, has donated funds to support the creation of a $600,000 endowment fund – and the University of Lethbridge's single largest corporate-funded award for graduate students.
Nexen Inc.'s initial investment of $300,000, when matched through the Province of Alberta's Access to the Future Fund, will establish University of Lethbridge graduate scholarships and fellowships in water research. These prestigious awards will be used to help attract and retain top graduate students.
The proceeds of the endowment will fund the first Nexen Fellowship in Water Research, valued at $30,000. It is the largest individual student award endowed at the U of L.
The inaugural award recipient is Lars Brinkmann, a University of Lethbridge alumnus who is currently a doctoral student working with Dr. Joseph Rasmussen, a Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Ecosystems.
Brinkmann's research focuses on how mercury concentrations in fish populations in the South Saskatchewan River Basin are affected by the food they eat and the amount of energy they have to expend to survive, as well as characterizing food web structures resulting in low mercury concentrations in fish.
“The health of this large watershed has immediate effects on the health of our stream systems, and knowing how human activity affects this watershed is vital to protect this most precious resource,” Brinkmann said. “This requires a proactive approach, through research and monitoring, to assess the risks of watershed disturbances before actual damage occurs.”
"We chose to create this endowment for two reasons,” said Nexen President and CEO Charlie Fischer. “First, because we are strong supporters of post-secondary education and believe this is the key to future economic success. And second, because we believe in environmental sustainability and using resources wisely. The availability, quality and conservation of water are key issues for the petroleum industry and there is growing competition among industry, agriculture and municipalities for access to both surface and groundwater. Research on water will help companies like Nexen plan environmentally-sensitive projects in the future. We are pleased to be aligned with research in this area.”
University of Lethbridge President Bill Cade said that to find solutions to urgent environmental concerns, the University has established water research as one of the top priorities for developing both faculty and student expertise -- and expects to add to its graduate student numbers as additional research projects are launched.
"Nexen's support is clearly leading the way to make it possible for our students to continue their valuable work," Cade said. "Potential exists for up to 100 more graduate students to study at the University of Lethbridge through various opportunities created by water and environmental science researchers."
"Our relationship with Nexen is already well established through their recruitment of our students and their commitment to our co-operative and applied studies programming, which places our students and graduates firmly within their corporate family," Cade said. "This generous award reinforces that relationship."
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