College Collaboration in Employer Relations Brings New Opportunities for Students

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Luis Zerpa (center front) with attendees of the petroleum engineering course.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The College of Engineering and the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences have partnered for a course, visits and a series of events to assist students in their search for establishing careers in their fields.

Through the University of Arkansas Career Development Center, the directors of employer relations for the two colleges have found ways to combine resources to connect more students with employment and internship opportunities.

“University of Arkansas employer relations initiatives are stronger with collaboration,” said Erica Estes, director of employer relations for Fulbright College. “Employers can meet all their recruiting needs with a holistic look at a greater cross section of the student body.”

The colleges have partnered to enhance opportunities for employers in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields to recruit and educate students.  This partnership has resulted in a wider selection of companies and students at the STEM Career Fair hosted every spring and fall semester through the university’s Career Development Center. The next STEM Career Fair will be held 10 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, in the East Indoor Club of Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

“By working together we both learn of opportunities for students that we might not hear about otherwise,” said Brian Henderson, director of employer relations for Engineering. “The recruiting needs of employers often overlap to include students and alumni in engineering, mathematics, chemistry and geosciences.”

One of the colleges’ most recent collaborations was a course for geology and engineering students, alumni and faculty to learn how to collaborate more effectively to build a reservoir model. The course was taught by Luis Zerpa, assistant professor of petroleum engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Zerpa’s research includes reservoir characterization and modeling, enhanced oil recovery methods and multiphase flow modeling. He also has consulting experience leading the reservoir simulation studies of an industrial offshore chemical enhanced oil recovery pilot project developed by the Venezuelan National Oil Company.

Estes and Henderson intend to continue this collaboration for the good of their students as well as the companies with which they work.