The Rawls College of Business Center for Energy Commerce was created to provide educational and personal growth experiences for students beyond the traditional classroom model. In order to supplement the Energy Commerce curriculum we have created several special programs which are not funded by the State of Texas.  To insure the continuation of these programs we rely on the generous funding support of friends of the Center.  Listed below are several of these programs along with opportunities for participation.

SUMMER INTERNSHIPS. Summer internships provide critical real world experience which enables students to relate classroom learning to the workplace, providing for a quicker and more seamless transition to full-time employment. Internships are often used by industry as an extended interview but need not result in full-time employment to be beneficial. Even though your company may not be currently hiring, an internship none the less supports the industry as well as the individual student.

SCHOLARSHIPS. With the cost of higher education continuing to climb, scholarship assistance is critical to many students. Energy Commerce is flexible in awarding of scholarship money and we attempt to assist you in determining the criteria you desire, whether need or academically based, or left to the discretion of the department.

WORLD ENERGY PROJECT. Over two billion people on earth suffer from “energy poverty” – the lack of even rudimentary energy necessary to create a stable economic existence. While we believe that Energy Commerce graduates complete their formal education well prepared to enter the workforce, we also believe that they should have a more global view of the importance of energy and their potential individual contributions. The World Energy Project was designed to provide this perspective. Students receive three hours of internship credit while installing solar panels for lighting and rechargeable LED flashlight batteries in off-grid villages in developing countries. As with all study abroad opportunities, there is extra cost involved. Many students who desire to participate cannot afford to do so. Scholarships are awarded as funds are available. It is the hope that this project can be expanded to accommodate as many students as wish to participate. Contributions may be made for scholarships and/or solar equipment acquisition.

JEROME SCHUETZEBERG DISTINGUISHED LECTURESHIP SERIES. The Lectureship endowment was established to honor long time oil and gas law professor Jerome Schuetzeberg’s commitment to energy education. The lecture will be delivered each spring in conjunction with year end Energy Commerce activities and will feature a prominent energy industry speaker. Contributions to the endowment will assist in perpetuating and enhancing the quality of the lectureship.

RAIDER POWER. With the expansion of the Center into the study of electricity generation and distribution, we have undertaken, in conjunction with the Student Recreation Center, a project to harness and convert energy produced from exercise into usable electricity. Twenty elliptical trainers are being reconfigured to convert the direct current to alternating current.  All university students utilizing the equipment will be able to not only participate in and monitor their contribution to the power grid, but also learn about the complexity and importance of the industry. Sponsors will be acknowledged on the permanent Raider Power display and monitoring system.