Fort Valley State University News February 22, 2012 ExxonMobil and major oil giants to award scholarships at annual energy luncheon Corporate giants from the oil and gas industry, utility companies and top governmental agencies will meet on Fort Valley State University's campus to deliver full-ride scholarships to 14 students and a generous $1.3 million in financial contributions to a signature mentoring program. To date, they've contributed $30 million. A two-day conference to highlight the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program begins with the industry awards dinner on Sunday evening. The twenty-ninth annual CDEP Energy Career Day Awards Luncheon will be held at 11:15 a.m., Monday, Feb. 27 in the C.W. Pettigrew Center. A 10 a.m. news conference in the Pettigrew Center lobby will enable reporters to interview executives from ExxonMobil, ConocoPhilips and Shell. "The purpose of this weekend is to recruit new students into the program, and to have an annual meeting with corporations and federal agencies who support us," said Dr. Isaac Crumbly, founder of the CDEP. "I wish to thank the hundreds of individuals from corporations and federal agencies who have supported CDEP over 29 years." Launched by Crumbly in 1983, CDEP helps minorities and women pursue professional energy careers. From 1983 to 1991, the program began offering students energy-related internships. The dual-degree component, which began in 1992, allows program participants to pursue a science or math-related degree for three years at FVSU, then transfer to one of CDEP's partner schools for two years. The partner schools include the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Texas-Austin, University of Arkansas, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Texas-Pan American. After five years of study, students earn two bachelor's degrees: one from FVSU, and one from a member schools. On Sunday, Feb. 26, FVSU will host an Industry Awards Banquet at the Pettigrew Center to honor Dr. Gary S. May, the first African-American dean for the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech University. FVSU alumna and BP geologist Tomieka Searcy will receive the CDEP Alumni of the Year award. Five students will receive awards for earning the highest grade point averages in CDEP. Jovon James, a chemistry/geology dual-major, and Brittney Crockett, a mathematics and petroleum engineering major, earned the highest GPA for first-year students. Richard Brinkley (math/petroleum engineering) and Fayon Atkinson (math/mechanical engineering) nabbed the top GPAs for second-year students; Lakiesha Hampton, (math/mechanical engineering) for third-year students. For more information about the event, please call (478) 825-6243. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-520-0593 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.