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Carolyn J. Keating talks at the press conference Dec. 6 at the Welcome Center.
A transformative $5 million gift from donor Carolyn J. Keating will provide Lamar University (LU) College of Engineering with a brand new academic and career success center.
The Carolyn J. Keating Center for Academic and Career Success in the College of Engineering has been established to offer inspiration and guidance to current and prospective LU students considering a career in engineering.
“For a century now, our committed alumni and donors have built a robust foundation of support for our students,” said Lamar University President Dr. Jaime Taylor. “Mrs. Keating's transformative donation not only continues this legacy, but also propels us into a new era of university excellence and national prominence. Through the Keating Center, we're positioned to educate the next generation of engineers in innovative ways while also actively seeking and cultivating future talent through outreach activities in middle and high schools.”
Through collaboration with the LU Department of English and Modern Languages and the Department of Communication and Media, students will be encouraged with support for academic engineering education and equipped with the tools necessary to develop effective oral and written communication skills.
“Mrs. Keating expressed her interest in providing Lamar University College of Engineering students with opportunities that are not available to their peers across the nation,” Lamar University Vice President for University Advancement Juan Zabala said. “The challenge presented by Mrs. Keating allowed LU to consider transformative educational options that will keep LU engineering students and alumni at the leading edge of the industry. These discussions led to the proposal for the Keating Center which will enhance engineering at LU and will impact engineering education throughout the nation.”
Partnerships with industry partners will supply students with career development growth opportunities through various internships and networking opportunities. The Center will also put particular focus on STEM education outreach programs designed to encourage prospective and current students to pursue careers in engineering.
“Lamar University’s strong connection with our industry partners has created opportunities that will be used through the Keating Center to provide even greater experiential learning options for our engineering students, and by extension, to all students at LU,” Zabala said.
With programming focused primarily on undergraduate and graduate students at LU, active recruitment efforts will also be made with area high school and middle school students.
Carolyn Johnson Keating is a 1967 alumna of Lamar University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Carolyn’s late husband, Thomas J. Keating, is a 1967 alumnus with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering.
“This is a century that celebrates the 100 years of Lamar University.” Keating said. “It's, as you all have said, this is a gift that's going to allow us to strengthen what we already do well, which is educate engineers.”
Since the 1960s, the Keating family has supported Lamar University in a multitude of ways, including endowed scholarships such as the Dr. David G. Gates Scholarship in Industrial Engineering, the Thomas Joseph “Tom” Keating Memorial Scholarship in Industrial Engineering, the Carolyn J. Keating Scholarship in English, and now the Carolyn J. Keating Center for Academic and Career Success in the College of Engineering.