Hibernia Investment Grows Enrichment Programming at Memorial University

• $2.85 million Hibernia investment to establish the Hibernia Project Shad Valley Fund at Memorial University
• Fund will help stimulate Newfoundland and Labrador student interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
• Attract top students from across Canada to undergraduate and graduate studies at Memorial

Memorial University will help cultivate the next generation of innovators in Newfoundland and Labrador thanks to a $2.85 million investment from the Hibernia Management and Development Company Ltd. (HMDC). The funding will create the Hibernia Project-Shad Valley Fund at Memorial to encourage high school students to pursue studies in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The program also will encourage students from across the country to pursue their post-secondary studies at Memorial.

“Collaboration with industry and education partners such as HMDC and Shad Valley enrich Memorial’s learning environment and help us provide an engaging experience for young students who come to Memorial each summer to learn from our award-winning faculty,” said Dr. Doreen Neville, associate vice-president (academic) planning, priorities and programs.

“Experiences during the Shad Valley program, in turn, help to attract students from across the country to our province to pursue their undergraduate and/or graduate studies.”

Shad Valley is a highly competitive, four-week summer enrichment program held at 12 Canadian universities, including Memorial. HMDC’s latest investment will expand the program’s capacity at Memorial and provide financial support for more students from across the country to travel to Newfoundland and Labrador.

“The program at Memorial is considered one of the best in Canada and HMDC has given us the ability to make it even better,” said Dr. Leonard Lye, MUN-Shad program director. “We will be able to accept more students into our program here at Memorial and it also will allow more local students to travel to other parts of the country to participate in the program at other schools.”

“Hibernia is a strong supporter of science, technology, engineering and math educational initiatives,” said Jamie Long, president of HMDC. “The Shad Valley program offers students an exciting summer opportunity. We hope it will inspire students and encourage them to pursue STEM studies.”

HMDC will invest $450,000 per year for five years to support the cost of Newfoundland and Labrador students attending Shad Valley programs throughout the country and eight new student positions will be created at Memorial, increasing the number of out-of-province students who will be exposed to programming and research opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Additionally, HMDC will invest $120,000 per year for five years to support a new Shad Valley program coordinator at Memorial. The coordinator will focus on increasing high school student interest in STEM. Through extensive outreach and travel throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, the new role will also promote and increase the profile of Memorial, the Shad Valley program and career and education options related to the province’s energy sector.

“We are extremely grateful to both HMDC and Memorial for the opportunity to forge this new partnership,” said Barry Bisson, president, Shad Valley International. “The activities that will flow from this funding will enhance our already excellent partnership with Memorial and help our national organization expand in Newfoundland and Labrador to help address the needs of exceptional students.”

The Shad Valley program has operated at Memorial since 2003. In recent years, more than 50 high school students from across the country have travelled to Memorial to learn from worldclass researchers and renowned experts.

In 2014 HMDC contributed $1.98 million to Memorial creating the Hibernia Project Geophysics Support Fund to enhance geophysics education and research.

About Memorial

Memorial University is one of the largest universities in Atlantic Canada. As the province’s only university, Memorial plays an integral role in the education and cultural life of Newfoundland and Labrador. Offering diverse undergraduate and graduate programs to almost 18,000 students, Memorial provides a distinctive and stimulating environment for learning in St. John’s, a safe, friendly city with great historic charm, a vibrant cultural life and easy access to a wide range of outdoor activities.

About Hibernia Management and Development Company Ltd.

Hibernia Management and Development Company Ltd. (HMDC) is the operator of the Hibernia field which began petroleum production offshore Newfoundland and Labrador in November 1997. HMDC is owned jointly by ExxonMobil Canada (33.125 per cent), Chevron Canada Resources (26.875 per cent), Suncor Energy (20 per cent), Canada Hibernia Holding Corporation (8.5 per cent), Murphy Oil (6.5 per cent) and Statoil Canada Ltd. (5 per cent).