William Meyer/Provided

Elissa Sterry ’79, M.S. ’80, vice president of ExxonMobil, presents a check to Lance Collins, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering, at an alumni event in Houston.

The ExxonMobil Foundation has given Cornell $447,046 through its Educational Matching Gifts Program. The program allows ExxonMobil employees, retirees, surviving spouses and directors to make contributions to higher education institutions of their choice, with donations being matched $3 to every $1.

The ExxonMobil Foundation encourages beneficiaries to direct a portion of the matching funds to “programs that provide math and science faculty with professional development, attract more young people to teach math and science, and support programs that encourage women and minorities to become scientists and engineers.”

Said Abby Westervelt, director of corporate and foundation relations at Cornell Engineering, “We’re very grateful for the ExxonMobil Foundation’s continued support of our faculty and students. Many of our students will one day work in the energy industry, including at ExxonMobil, and an investment in their education is an investment in energy solutions for the future.”

A check was presented to Lance Collins, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering, at a Cornell alumni event hosted by Elissa Sterry ’79, M.S. ’80, vice president of ExxonMobil, at the company’s Houston campus.

Cornell was among 869 colleges and universities participating in the program in 2015. Donations to institutions totaled $13.2 million, which is being matched by the foundation with educational grants totaling $32.2 million.