The University of Wyoming (UW) announced it has received a $500,000 pledge from Joseph and Stephanie Leimkuhler to support petroleum engineering students. This gift, matched by the State to create a $1 million endowment, establishes the Joseph and Stephanie Leimkuhler Fund for Student Success in Petroleum Engineering.
Joseph Leimkuhler, a UW alumnus and COO of Beacon Offshore Energy, and his wife Stephanie, hope the fund will replicate the support they received during their time at UW, ensuring similar opportunities for future students.
“UW and the state of Wyoming were there for us when we needed help, and this gift, along with the State match, will ensure the same opportunity is there for future students as well,” Leimkuhler said.
The fund aims to enhance graduate education in petroleum engineering with a focus on drilling engineering by providing scholarships, assistantships, research funding, and opportunities for real-world experience. It supports UW’s “Top 5 in 5” initiative in which the university aims to elevate its Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering to a top five national ranking within 5 years through initiatives including preparing the workforce, conducting research, and improving the well-being of the people of Wyoming.
“The new students joining us will be key in shaping the future of technology for developing Wyoming’s shale plays and will help supply the state’s petroleum industry with its future workforce—a crucial role in a state where oil and gas drive the economy,” said Vamegh Rasouli, UW’s LeNorman Endowed Leadership Chair of Petroleum Engineering in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.