ExxonMobil educational programme opens new application round

Leatherhead (31 March 2011) -- The ExxonMobil Excellence in Teaching Awards (EMETA), an educational initiative for UK and Ireland universities, has begun a new round of applications

The awards scheme, which is run in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Engineering, was formed to ensure excellence in teaching is recognised and rewarded. The EMETA initiative was established four years ago. Successfully selected awardees are rewarded with a package of benefits which includes a £10,000 cheque for their department.. The winning recipients can spend this donation in a way that is designed to enhance teaching for engineering students.

One previous winner, Dr Neill Renton, head tutor of the Chemical Engineering department at the University of Aberdeen, was rewarded for his efforts in launching a new MEng degree course in chemical engineering. The university used the money to help develop the course.

“We’ve used it to pay for minibus travel on visits to the Fife Ethylene Plant and SAGE. We also bought equipment for the laboratory and textbooks,” he said. “We’re enormously grateful as the support has helped us establish course credibility and put us on a solid footing.”

Further award benefits for Aberdeen University include skills workshops, access to the company’s latest case-study material, site visits and priority in graduate recruitment.

The benefits are coming full circle for ExxonMobil, with one of Dr Renton’s former students recently joining ExxonMobil North Sea Production in an offshore subsea and pipeline engineering role and a further two interns hired to join the downstream organisation in Fawley this summer.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 31 October, 2011.