Oct 8 2013
BASF Corporation has donated $100,000 to Louisiana State University (LSU) to support construction of the LSU Olinde Career Center. With completion slated for April 2014, the center will unite LSU Career Services' two current campus locations into a single, state-of-the-art facility designed to prepare students and alumni for successful careers.
“Our investment in LSU helps support the development of the local workforce and potential leaders of the chemical industry in the future,” said Tom Yura, Senior Vice President and Manager of the BASF site in Geismar, Louisiana. “In a rapidly changing and increasingly global economy, universities must use modern, creative approaches to help students prepare and meet the challenges of a highly competitive job market. That’s what LSU leaders will be able to do with the Olinde Career Center.”
LSU broke ground on the career center in May 2012. It will be located in the Student Union with a mission of assisting students in choosing careers, developing job search skills and securing employment.
“A facility like the Olinde Career Center is essential to a university and its student body, both for helping prepare students for the job market and for creating opportunities for employers to see what LSU has to offer,” said Kurt Keppler, LSU Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Enrollment. “Support from the community, including BASF's donation, has been vital in establishing our new career center.”
BASF’s support of LSU extends to the College of Engineering, where the company awards $25,000 in annual scholarships to students and recognizes a Professor of Excellence each semester. In addition, BASF employees who are LSU alumni help mentor and support students through various programs and organizations on campus.
BASF’s manufacturing presence near LSU includes operations in Geismar (the corporation’s largest site in North America), Zachary and Vidalia. BASF employs nearly 2,000 individuals and invests nearly $300 million in Louisiana through annual payroll, purchases, taxes and charitable contributions.
For more information about the LSU Olinde Career Center, visit https://www.lsu.edu/careercenter/index.php. Information on careers at BASF in Louisiana can be found on the website at http://www.basf.us/la-jobs .
Source: http://www.basf.com/