The Oil & Gas industry is the world’s largest in terms of value, and universities across the nation are updating their existing infrastructure to compete for top-tier talent. Texas Tech University has proven they are committed to attracting and retaining elite recruits by partnering with Kirksey to design and build the new Terry Fuller Petroleum Engineering Research Building.
The recently completed $22.8 million facility boasts progressive technology and unique teaching environments that provide students the opportunity to learn kinesthetically. The new building includes classrooms, state-of-the-art integrated research and teaching laboratories, collaborative areas for students to interact and study, administrative offices, conference rooms, and a library. The laboratories are uniquely clustered, allowing a systems approach to instructional teaching that covers the entire spectrum of exploration and production. Additionally, a glass-walled laboratory allows students to be part of the research and instruction that is constantly occurring.
The building is seeking LEED certification and matches the unique architectural style of the Texas Tech campus. Embedded into the design is an opportunity for private industry to engage in the Petroleum Department’s programs, from a sponsorship level to actual participation in R+D activities. A simulated rock wall greets building entrants as they enter the lobby, and serves as more than an art installation. Like other components of the building, the wall is a teaching tool, representing the history of drilling from straight bore downhole strategies to horizontal perforations and fracking.
The Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering is one of the largest petroleum engineering departments in the United States. This new facility helps solidify Texas Tech as a premier destination for engineering students and provides undergraduates and faculty with an environment that encourages learning, collaboration, and innovation.
For more information please visit: http://today.ttu.edu/2014/02/petroleum-engineering-celebrates-new-research-facility/
