Pictured from left: Bethany Griffin, ASCE Treasurer and Steel Bridge Team Captain; Ashley Thompson, BASF Process Engineer and UTC Chemical Engineering alumna; Dr. Frank Jones, U.C. Foundation Professor for Civil and Chemical Engineering; Dr. Neslihan Alp, College of Engineering and Computer Science Interim Dean; Dr. Joe Owino, Civil and Chemical Engineering Department Head and U.C. Foundation Associate Professor; Robert Gagliano, BASF Site Manager; Dr. Ignatius Fomunung, Civil and Chemical Engineering Associate Professor and ASCE Faculty Advisor; Andrew Mowrer, ASCE President and BASF intern.
Students and faculty from the College of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga accepted a $3,000 donation from BASF employees, including $1,500 to support the university’s American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) student chapter competition team and $1,500 to support UTC’s Chem-E-Car competition team.
“BASF is proud to play a role in enriching the lives of our future engineers,” said Robert Gagliano, BASF Chattanooga Site Manager. “As the world’s leading chemical company and a Chattanooga neighbor, we appreciate the opportunity to partner with UTC in investing in our local students who will shape the future of our industry, as well as the future of both our local and global communities.”
The chemical company operates two facilities in Chattanooga, employing 130 local workers and boasting a long history of sustained safety and environmental performance. BASF invests more than $15 million in Tennessee per year through annual payroll and annual capital investments.
“On behalf of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, I appreciate BASF‘s support for our Chem-E-Car and ASCE student competition teams,“ said Dr. Neslihan Alp, UTC’s College of Engineering and Computer Science Interim Dean. “These competitions are extremely valuable in that they allow students to actively apply what they learn in the classroom, ultimately preparing students for the real world and facilitating their post-graduate job searches.“