Roane State Community College

September 7, 2022

UCOR boosted its partnership with Roane State this year with a $50,000 donation to Roane State Foundation. The funds have been split between two of the community college’s programs – Environmental Health Technology and Chemical Engineering Technology.

UCOR, an Amentum-led partnership with Jacobs, is a U.S. Department of Energy contractor involved in the environmental cleanup of former nuclear facilities. On DOE’s Oak Ridge Reservation, it’s working at the former K-25 Site, the Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

UCOR has provided support to the Chemical Engineering Technology (CET) program since its inception, offering guidance on program development and ongoing support through participation in a CET Advisory Board, hiring student apprentices and supplying donations.

Thanks to UCOR, nine students have earned apprenticeships over the last three years. The contractor has also offered jobs to graduating interns as well as additional program graduates. This latest financial contribution is being used to buy new equipment for the CET lab.

“UCOR's partnership with the CET program has provided guidance and resources to allow our students to experience real-world process control and chemical operations,” said Laura Hofman, CET program director at Roane State. “UCOR’s donations have provided funding for equipment and software to improve opportunities for students to learn through doing, by working with up-to-date laboratory equipment and simulation software that prepares them for a career in chemical processing and operations.”

“It’s been really successful,” said Charles Malarkey, UCOR administrative services manager. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the quality of the students. Our partnership with Roane State has been excellent.”

Buoyed by the success of that collaboration, UCOR officials decided to expand the partnership with Roane State to include the environmental health technology (EHT) program.

“In addition to the generous monetary donations, UCOR provides opportunities for our Environmental Health Technology students to train on UCOR equipment under the instruction of UCOR professionals,” said Dan Hyder, the EHT program director. “The funding provides scholarships that ease the financial burden many of our students face and increases the likelihood that they will finish their degree.”

In fact, research has shown that Roane State Foundation scholarship recipients are twice as likely to complete their degree and do so on time.

The relationship with Roane State “supports UCOR’s strategy to help build a highly skilled workforce for today and tomorrow,” according to the contractor. To learn more about these and other programs offered at the college, visit roanestate.edu/academicprograms.

Roane State Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation that seeks to enhance community awareness of the college, to secure private contributions and bequests, and to manage monies or properties given to the Foundation, including an approximately $12 million endowment. Roane State Foundation supports the college with capital projects, equipment, educational programs and scholarships. For more information or to make a gift to support Roane State students, visit roanestate.edu/foundation, email Foundationdept@roanestate.edu, or call (865) 882-4507.