Antero Gift to Further Academic Success, Industry Partnership at WVU

Antero graduate fellow Nick Lapinski is the new program's first fellowship recipient. The gift establishes named experiential learning opportunities, professorships, research, graduate fellowships, equipment, graduate programs in petroleum and natural gas engineering and establish an opportunity fund within the PNGE department (WVU Photo/Savanna Leech).

A philanthropic gift from Antero Resources and Antero Midstream will forge new pathways for learning, discovery and societal impact through the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University.

Story by Kaley LaQuea, Communications Specialist
Photos by Savanna Leech, Graphic Designer

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

“The people of West Virginia University – the leaders, faculty and alumni – have been the foundation of Antero’s success as West Virginia’s largest producer of natural gas,” said Paul Rady, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Antero Resources. “You don’t have this kind of success without the support of the good people of West Virginia.  Our gift signifies our gratitude as well as our commitment to a bright future for West Virginia and for Antero.”

As part of Antero’s largest philanthropic gift to date, the $4 million in support represents a shared commitment to excellence, fostering the dynamic exchange of ideas, resources and opportunities between industry and higher education here in the Mountain State. The funds will facilitate named experiential learning opportunities, professorships, research, graduate fellowships, equipment, graduate programs in petroleum and natural gas engineering and establish an opportunity fund within the PNGE department.

The Antero Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering graduate program will serve the WVU community and larger Appalachian region through funding student achievement programs, resource development and learning investments to enhance student outcomes and success. 

“We’re immensely proud that the program has Antero’s name on it,” said Antero’s Regional Senior Vice President Kevin Ellis. “But this gift is about more than just one company. It’s about the future of West Virginia’s young people and the future of our state’s economy. Energy produced right here is vitally needed to improve lives all over the world, and this program will help ensure our state’s place in the global economy.”

Petroleum engineering student Nick Lapinski, the program’s first graduate fellowship recipient, received an internship offer in Texas but the Antero fellowship kept him in West Virginia. The program will continue to deepen resource investments in the state, growing and enhancing the industry here for incoming generations.

"It is an honor to acknowledge the generous contribution from Antero to our department. This donation will provide vital support to our students and empower our faculty to enhance our students' educational journeys at WVU,” said Samuel Ameri, chair and professor of the petroleum and natural gas engineering department. “Contributions like this are instrumental in supporting our mission to educate the engineers of the future; well-prepared to work upstream and midstream in the oil and gas industry post-graduation. We are incredibly grateful for the strong relationship we have with industry partners like Antero."

Under this newly named program, degrees offered will include a master of science and a doctorate of philosophy in petroleum engineering as well as the new online master of science in midstream petroleum engineering degree, the first of its kind offered in the US.

Antero CFO and senior Vice President of Finance Michael Kennedy said the gift follows a long partnership with WVU.

“This felt to us like the natural next step in a continuing commitment to West Virginia and the Appalachian region,” Kennedy said. “It’s the largest philanthropic gift we have made. It comes from a confidence we have in WVU and its leadership, and a continuing need to hire people with a highly technical understanding of the evolving natural gas industry.”

The gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the University’s nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations. Antero serves as the state’s largest energy and natural gas producer.

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