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Every year, Stevens sends several graduates to work for ExxonMobil. Wherever those alumni work in the energy giant’s global enterprise, many are using a robust matching program to give back to their alma mater.
ExxonMobil matches employee, retiree and surviving spouse gifts to their universities at a 3:1 ratio, meaning for every dollar an alumnus gives, the company adds three more.
That generosity accumulates quickly. In May, Stevens alumnus and ExxonMobil employee Jim Szipszky ’89 M.E. ’92 visited campus to deliver a 2016 matching fund check for $175,177.
“I am delighted to present this year’s annual ExxonMobil matching gift check on behalf of the dozens of employees, retirees and surviving spouses who made gifts to Stevens in 2016, and on behalf of the ExxonMobil Foundation,” Szipszky said.
During the previous five years, ExxonMobil Matching Gifts and Departmental Grants provided to Stevens totaled $581,002.
President Nariman Farvardin was thrilled to accept the check. He touted the partnership between Stevens and ExxonMobil, dating to the 19th century when Stevens was the nation’s first college of mechanical engineering and modern-day ExxonMobil had its roots in John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil.
“This is one of the deepest relationships we have,” President Farvardin said, “and it remains vibrant and strong because of the loyalty and active participation of alumni. It is a relationship that is doing a lot of good for our students and faculty, and we will work hard to nurture and grow it.”
Today there are more than 90 Stevens alumni employees of ExxonMobil and another 150 who are retirees of Exxon, Mobil, or ExxonMobil. Several employees return to campus each year with Szipszky for recruiting efforts and to provide support to student projects and organizations.
Szipszky presented the check alongside his coworker Sylvana Azana ’14 and retirees Vicente Citarella ’62 MMS ’66 and Professor Keiichiro Hayashi, who was with Exxon from 1965 to 1982.
Azana, who works for ExxonMobil’s environmental services group, interned for the company through the Stevens co-op program. Though she is a recent graduate, she was eager to give back. "Giving back to the community that helped me achieve my career goals is one of the most valuable things I can do. With ExxonMobil's matching program, I knew my support would be quadrupled. That opportunity, combined with knowing I am helping other students and my alma mater, was the driving force that made making a gift to Stevens an easy decision."
In addition to ExxonMobil, over 1,000 notable companies match employee, retiree and spouse gifts to Stevens. Search the Matching Gifts Database to find your company and get started.
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