The Cockrell School of Engineering joined the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center to expand the curriculum and resources offered to students while enhancing UT’s effort to tackle the issue of energy security.

Founded in 2014, the center began as a collaborative effort between the McCombs School of Business and the UT School of Law to encourage students to pursue a career in the energy sector while fostering connections with industry professionals. The center offers an energy-focused curriculum, mentorship programs and networking events. It is available to all UT students but has been especially popular among engineering students. 

Former United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison said several of their honorees in the past have been engineering graduates. She said the conversation of officially partnering with Cockrell arose from talking to the graduates about how the center can enrich the student experience. 

“Several of them have said ‘Well, there are so many different engineering centers, so how is this different?’” Hutchison said. “They started looking into it, and they said ‘Engineering should be part of this,’ and so it began a conversation.”

Engineering student Mark Bentick has been involved with the Center since December 2022. He said the Center provides great opportunities to meet industry professionals and partner with energy leaders through their mentorship program. 

“I hope more engineering students join the KBH Center, especially since the Cockrell School of Engineering is an official partner now,” Bentick said. “We need engineers to step into roles in the energy industry, especially as the industry seeks to capitalize on (liquefied natural gas) exports and other markets.”

Every year, the center holds an annual symposium to encourage collaboration among students and professionals. At the event, experts from all over the world come together to discuss potential solutions in the energy field. 

Through the center and the three schools, Hutchison said she hopes to encourage more students to go into energy careers. She said the center hopes to develop a certificate program exposing students to laws and regulations in the energy field, potentially giving them an advantage when applying for jobs.

“I think we’re going to provide a student experience that is better than any energy center on any university campus in America,” Hutchinson said.