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Valero Gives $1.5 Million For Lab In Texas A&M’s New Zachry Engineering Education Complex

Valero Energy Corp. has given $1.5 million through the Texas A&M Foundation to support the construction of the Zachry Engineering Education Complex.
By Monika Blackwell, Texas A&M Foundation October 21, 2016

The Zachry Engineering Education Complex
The Zachry Engineering Education Complex (EEC).

Valero Energy Corp., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in San Antonio, has given $1.5 million through the Texas A&M Foundation to support the construction of the Zachry Engineering Education Complex (EEC).

To recognize the company for its generosity, the Texas A&M College of Engineering will name a laboratory within the complex the Valero High Bay Lab. The gift will be counted toward the $4 billion goal of the university’s Lead by Example campaign.

“This gift from Valero will allow us to develop a pivotal component of the Zachry EEC—the High Bay Laboratory space,” said Dr. M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of Texas A&M Engineering. “This lab will be truly interdisciplinary, allowing students from multiple engineering fields the opportunity to participate in experiential learning and transformational research.”

The lab will consist of two distinct areas: a four-story high bay area and a one-story low bay area. The high bay area will allow for the installation and development of undergraduate experiments that require a large vertical space. The low bay will house a number of large-footprint experiments such as a double-effect vaporizer and a steam-based heat exchanger system. The space will feature movable work benches and seating, making it easily reconfigured. Departments expected to use the space include aerospace, chemical, mechanical, nuclear and petroleum engineering.

“Valero is proud of the longstanding partnership with the Texas A&M College of Engineering,” said Lane Riggs, Executive Vice President-Refining Operations and Engineering. “Our investment in the Valero High Bay Laboratory demonstrates our continued commitment to the institution and to current and future students.”

The Zachry Engineering Education Complex, dedicated to undergraduate engineering education, will be completed in the spring of 2018 and will double the size of the original engineering center, with more than 500,000 square feet of space. The complex was designed with the College of Engineering’s future growth in mind, specifically the 25 by 25 initiative, which aims to increase the college’s total enrollment to 25,000 students by 2025. Many learning spaces within the building, including the Valero High Bay Lab, will provide unprecedented accessibility to students by creating educational opportunities that can be customized to their schedules.

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