On October 10, 2013, the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences held a Recognition Ceremony in partnership with Pioneer Natural Resources. Tom Spalding and Donny Loughry, both UK alumni, represented the company and presented two checks - one from Pioneer Natural Resources for $300K for three years of support for graduate fellowships and support of research in petroleum-related disciplines. The second from UK alumni who are employees of Pioneer who are making donations that Pioneer matches 1:1 – with the total nearing $17.5K. In 2011, the company made a $600k cash commitment to fund a professorship and provide graduate student support and scholarships for undergraduates. Photography by: Dana Rogers