LPEA gives $200,000 to FLC’s Geosciences, Physics and Engineering Hall

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By Mitch Davis

Special to The SUN

The La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) has announced a $200,000 grant over three years to go toward Fort Lewis College’s (FLC) new Geosciences, Physics and Engineering Hall.

The funding is a way for LPEA to support the community, as well as an investment where the return is a top-notch workforce. The grant will come from unclaimed capital credits.

“Unclaimed capital credits belong to the community, so the board sought to provide the broadest benefit to the people we serve and the college was a good fit,” said LPEA CEO Mike Dreyspring. “Plus, from the cooperative’s standpoint, we are in need of well-trained engineers. Our current engineers who began college at Fort Lewis had to complete their degrees at other institutions. Now we will literally be able to grow our own professionals and participate with the college on needs for the future.”

FLC’s engineering program has evolved over the past several years, receiving international recognition as an ABET accredited program. Subsequently, the number of students coming to Fort Lewis College to study engineering has increased dramatically. Lack of space to accommodate the burgeoning program is one of the reasons the new building is so important.

“I’d like to offer a huge, electrifying thank you to LPEA for their support of the new Geosciences, Physics and Engineering Hall at Fort Lewis College,” said FLC President Dene Thomas.

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