Alumnus Kelcy Warren's $12 Million Transformational Gift is Largest in UTA History
University of Texas at Arlington alumnus Kelcy Warren, executive chairman and chairman of the Board of Directors of Energy Transfer LP, has made a $12 million gift to help elevate UTA to the forefront of the growing resource and energy engineering (REE) field.
The gift represents the largest single philanthropic investment in UT Arlington history.
Funding will fuel faculty and research excellence in the College of Engineering’s new REE bachelor’s degree program while providing students with life-changing opportunities for educational and career success in REE and beyond.
“I am honored to give back to the institution that has played such a pivotal role in advancing my educational and professional journeys,” said Warren (’78 BS, Civil Engineering), a member of The University of Texas System Board of Regents. “Texas faces a critical need for highly skilled graduates who can manage energy resources, and this innovative REE program will help meet that demand.”
To recognize Warren’s generosity, UTA will name three endowed REE academic positions as well as REE laboratory space, a career experience center and scholarship/fellowship recipients in his honor. Funding will also support research experiences for undergraduate engineering students.
The gift will:
- Create the Kelcy Warren Endowed Professorship in Resource and Energy Engineering to recruit and retain a world-class faculty member to lead the program
- Create two Kelcy Warren Endowed Faculty Fellowships to recruit and retain distinguished scholars to enhance the REE educational experience
- Support state-of-the-art REE laboratory space and equipment that will provide faculty and students with the best possible resources to explore solutions to today’s most pressing energy challenges
- Create the Kelcy Warren Career Experience Center to provide opportunities for engineering undergraduates to engage in experiential learning, including internships and co-ops
- Provide scholarship support for REE undergraduate students—to be named Warren Scholars—to help them fulfill their educational goals
Provide fellowship support for engineering graduate students—to be named Warren Fellows—interested in energy industry careers upon graduation
- Support research experiences for engineering undergraduates to prepare them for success in the energy industry and other high-demand fields
“We are deeply grateful for Regent Warren’s bold philanthropic vision that promises to forever change the landscape of UTA and leave a lasting legacy at his alma mater,” UTA President Jennifer Cowley said. “A gift of this magnitude will provide transformational support for resource and energy engineering and establish UTA as a national leader in this increasingly important industry.”
Scheduled to launch in fall 2023, the REE bachelor’s degree program will be the first of its kind in the U.S. and prepare students to apply engineering principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of energy generation, storage, conversion and distribution systems.
“As a UT System regent, Kelcy Warren consistently demonstrates a deep commitment to students and the potential they bring to our state’s future. His extraordinary generosity to his alma mater, in an area that is vital to Texas’ well-being and competitiveness, is far-sighted and will serve our students extremely well,” said James B. Milliken, chancellor of The University of Texas System.
The program will be housed in the Electrical Engineering Department and include instruction in both conventional and renewable energy sources. In addition to addressing a vital workforce need, it will ensure that graduates understand both engineering and business interests.
“Regent Warren’s unprecedented gift will accelerate our ability to produce a pipeline of talented engineers who are ready to make an immediate impact in the dynamic energy sector,” said Peter Crouch, dean of the UTA College of Engineering.
Named a UTA Distinguished Alumnus in 2007, Warren has supported the university for more than 25 years through 10 gifts totaling over $4 million. He previously established the Kelcy Warren Graduate Fellowship for Engineering and the Dr. Syed Qasim Professorship in honor of his former professor and mentor. Other prior gifts include support for Texas Tier One strategic research initiatives and the Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholarship.
Warren was appointed to a six-year term on the UT System Board of Regents in March 2019. He has been recognized by numerous energy and business organizations for his contributions to the industry and is a member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, the Texas Business Hall of Fame and the Ammys Hall of Fame.
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