GIVING

A Transformational Impact

Alumnus Kelcy Warren’s gift is largest in UTA history

Kelcy Warren (’78 BS, Civil Engineering), 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,” says Warren, 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.

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,” says James B. Milliken, chancellor of The University of Texas System.

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.

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