By Guy Spriggs
In June of 2011, UK’s Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences (EES) partnered with UK alumnus Tom Spalding (’80, ’82) to secure a $600,000 gift from Pioneer Natural Resources Company.
Spalding is Vice-President of Pioneer, a large independent oil and gas exploration company based in Dallas, with operations in Texas, Colorado, Alaska and South Africa.
“Pioneer really went to bat for us,” said David Moecher, professor in the EES Department. “Tom [Spalding] and Pioneer want to make sure that we have faculty in these fundamental fields to maintain a pipeline of future earth scientists.”
The gift, which is intended to be spread out over the next 3 years, will fund the Pioneer Natural Resources Research Professorship in