News release prepared by: Julie Lea, juliel@found.ksu.edu, 785-532-7564

Friday, Sept. 25, 2009

ConocoPhillips Supports K-State Scholarships And Programs

MANHATTAN -- ConocoPhillips, Houston, has made a philanthropic commitment to Kansas State University, which will be recognized in a ceremony at the Sept. 26 K-State football game in Bill Snyder Family Stadium. A five-year commitment is designed to support four areas at K-State, and a 2009 gift is designated for scholarships and initiatives in the Colleges of Business Administration and Engineering, as well as the ConocoPhillips SPIRIT Scholars program.

The five-year commitment will benefit the Center for Sustainable Energy faculty and student awards, the Excellence in Business Ethics program in the College of Business Administration, the Project Impact Summer Bridge Program for incoming College of Engineering and Business Administration freshmen, and technology and equipment in the new welcome center planned for K-State. The commitment totals $2.5 million.

The ConocoPhillips Center for Sustainable Energy Program Support Fund provides funds for conducting research and classes in the center. The ConocoPhillips Professor of Sustainable Energy will be awarded to a faculty member in the College of Engineering who is associated with the center. The ConocoPhillips Sustainable Energy Student Awards will be given to undergraduate or graduate students in any curriculum who are completing projects in sustainable energy.

The ConocoPhillips Excellence in Business Ethics fund will be administered by the head of the department of management for student development workshops, business ethics case competitions, lecture series and ethics forums.

The ConocoPhillips Summer Bridge Program is administered by the Office of Diversity. This program is designed to prepare students for the academic rigor of the university environment; familiarize freshmen with the K-State campus and introduce campus services; connect summer bridge participants to multicultural student leaders and student organizations; and begin the advisement process.

The ConocoPhillips Technology and Equipment Support for the Welcome Center will be used to provide new technology and equipment in the newly renovated welcome center.

The 2009 gift of $500,000 will be used for ongoing support in the Colleges of Business Administration and Engineering for deans' excellence funds, general department support, scholarships and fellowships and funds for special programs and initiatives. ConocoPhillips' annual gift to K-State also includes support for K-State's office of career and employment services, the president's office and Quest, the freshman honorary.

The gift also provides funding for the ConocoPhillips SPIRIT Scholars program, now in its third year at K-State. ConocoPhillips selected K-State as a member of its SPIRIT Scholars Program in 2007. It is one of only eight universities in the country to receive this distinction.

ConocoPhillips has a long history of support to K-State, and employs many K-State graduates in its operations around the world.

"We are excited about continuing our excellent relationship with K-State," said Rand Berney, senior vice president, Corporate Shared Services. "We firmly believe that this new level of commitment toward these programs at K-State will continue to provide ConocoPhillips with outstanding graduate employees to help drive our business success."

"We are deeply grateful to ConocoPhillips for their generous support for students, faculty and programs at K-State," said President Kirk Schulz. "It has been a pleasure to get acquainted with the ConocoPhillips executives and appreciate the true passion they have for supporting K-State as one of our most dedicated corporate partners. Several of their employees are actively involved as mentors to our SPIRIT Scholars, which is extremely beneficial to the leadership development of these students. The people of ConocoPhillips bring a lot of heart to their commitment to K-State."

Philanthropic contributions to K-State are coordinated by the Kansas State University Foundation. The foundation manages fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for the university.