Hilltopics E-Zine - Barton County Community College

Hilltopics E-Zine
Barton County Community College
E-mail Comments to hilltopics@bartonccc.edu

NACE Donation – Kansas Section of NACE International Trustee Steve Belzer gives a $1,000 check to Barton County Community for an annual scholarship to be awarded next fall to a Barton student interested in corrosion technology as a possible career path. Behind Belzer and Holopirek is the Midwest Utility Pipeline and Training Center that was built less than two years ago with donations from the oil and gas industry so it could conduct training. Kansas Section of NACE International held its 21st Annual Corrosion Control Seminar at Barton last week and utilized the hands-on training facility for its Track I students for the second straight year.

NACE International was originally known as "The National Association of Corrosion Engineers" when it was established in 1943 by eleven corrosion engineers in the pipeline industry and it has evolved into the largest organization in the world committed to the study of corrosion.

For more information, contact Darnell Holopirek, 620-792-9367.

February 13, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Story by: Michael Dawes
dawesm@bartonccc.edu

Kansas Section of NACE International Establishes $1000 Annual Scholarship at Barton

Kansas Section of NACE International established a $1,000 scholarship for a Barton County Community College student during its 21st Annual
Corrosion Control Seminar at the College last week. The annual scholarship will be awarded in $500 increments next fall and spring, preferably to a traditional-age student majoring in pre-engineering or science. Kansas Section of NACE International will also gift conference fees for the scholarship recipient to attend next year’s three-day corrosion control seminar where the student will receive track I training.

“This is our section’s way of giving back to this community,” said Steve Belzer, trustee for the Kansas Section of NACE International, referring to Barton’s hosting of all 21 seminars for the organization. “Hopefully, the training will generate the interest in the scholarship for those who are considering a career in corrosion control.”

Students in other vocational programs will also be considered if no pre-engineering or science students apply, said Barton Institutional Advancement Director Darnell Holopirek. In order to qualify, students must attend Barton full time and have at least a 2.5 grade point average.

Belzer said Kansas Section of NACE International has awarded more than 200 scholarships in the past 21 years in varying amounts to children of those employed in the oil and gas pipeline industry. He’s hoping the annual scholarship at Barton will continue to encourage others to pursue a career in the corrosion control field, but that will be determined by the amount of money generated by the seminar.

“With proper funding, we hope to make this donation an annual event,” said Belzer. “We hope we can present a check to the College every seminar.”

Corrosion Control Seminar Chairman De Sultzer said the scholarship might one day lay the ground work for Barton to provide more training in corrosion control, an industry in dire need of qualified corrosion technicians.

“Kilgore College in Texas is the only college in the United States that offers an accredited corrosion control program where people can go through and earn their associate’s degree in this field,” explained Sultzer. “Pipeline companies are looking for people and they are hiring them right out the chute. Hopefully, we’ll try to get into that.”