November 7, 2017
Dear UT Community,
For many families in Texas, attending UT is a tradition — passed on through the generations. And that is true of the Hildebrand family. Regent Jeff Hildebrand and Mindy Hildebrand have a very deep connection to our university, and that makes today’s news even more special.
I am pleased to write that the Hildebrand family has provided a transformative gift to UT’s Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. As a symbol of our appreciation, the department will now be known as the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering.
This is a remarkable $25 million investment in the future of the Cockrell School of Engineering and the study and exploration of new energy solutions. The gift will provide significant resources for student and faculty innovation, along with cutting-edge teaching and research related to the oil and gas industry.
The Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering is home to the No. 1-ranked petroleum engineering graduate program and No. 2-ranked petroleum engineering undergraduate program in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report’s most recent rankings. The Hildebrand family’s gift will strengthen and foster the continued excellence of this outstanding department while positioning it to increase its impact in the years ahead.
I am profoundly grateful for the generosity of the Hildebrand family and for their commitment to generations of future students and the world-changing research and scholarship of the PGE faculty.
Sincerely,
Gregory L. Fenves
President