The Jackson School of Geosciences will now collaborate with three other UT colleges to develop energy solutions, the school announced on Sept. 13. 

The Jackson School is the fourth school to partner with the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center, along with the McCombs Business School, the Cockrell School of Engineering and the School of Law. The partnership will allow hundreds of students in the Jackson School to gain recognition and participate in the University’s large energy industry.

Fred Beach, the director of the Energy and Earth Resources graduate program, will become a geosciences academic coordinator for the center. He said the partnership will give the geosciences school more recognition. 

“(Jackson School is) tiny, but we punch above our weight,” Beach said. “(This partnership) has given us a little bit more recognition (for) how much we do bring to this.”

Beach said the Energy Center will now officially recognize the school as a part of their academic leadership team, allowing the school to make educational decisions for the center’s programs. 

The partnership will allow geosciences students to officially participate in the many programs the KBH Center offers and further their connection with energy resources throughout the state. To join, students can pursue a minor in energy management or attend one of the center’s yearly spring conferences.

Jack Balagia, the executive director of the center, will oversee the partnership and increase outreach to students, including those in the newly adopted Jackson School.

“(Now) we have a whole new school with students who might be interested in an energy career,” Balagia said. “That’s our principal focus right now, helping the students.” 

The partnership adopted the brand message, “What starts here energizes the world,” to acknowledge the wealth of natural and renewable energy in Texas and the UT System, Beach said. This message will coincide with their current, “What starts here changes the world,” message.

“(We are) the total energy capital of the world, and what starts here energizes the world,” Beach said.