The ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility, the first of its kind in the nation, will be dedicated 2 p.m. today at the University of Oklahoma in a public ceremony at 850 S. Jenkins Ave.

Speakers will include OU President David L. Boren, ExxonMobil Senior Vice President and Treasurer Donald Humphreys, Truman Bell, ExxonMobil senior program officer for education and diversity and OU College of Engineering Dean Tom Landers.

The facility, made possible by a $5 million gift from ExxonMobil in 2005, is helping prepare OU engineering students for careers in the industry by allowing them to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world challenges. The building also is being used for activities designed to inspire kindergarten through 12th-grade students to become future engineers and scientists.

"We are grateful to ExxonMobil for making possible this new, cutting-edge facility on campus, which will be a center for creativity and new technological innovation at the University of Oklahoma," Boren said.

The building features five first-floor practice bays that allow students to gain hands-on experience in engineering. One of the one-story bays is designed to provide students with an enclosed space for high-debris "dirty" projects.

The bays are adjacent to a machine shop that will provide tools and equipment needed for student projects. All the bays open onto a green space facing Jenkins Avenue, offering students the opportunity to not only expand their workspace outside, but also to showcase their projects to passersby.

The building's Information Commons features the most up-to-date software and computer cad/plotter equipment and a room that simulates the operation and control of an off shore semi-submersible drilling rig, along with qualified technicians available to assist students with their questions.

The Student Leadership Center features project rooms to provide a home for student organizations, an open meeting area and tutoring -- all in one convenient location. The two bench labs in the building are designed for students with smaller projects, such as those encompassed by electrical and computer engineering, along with student locker space for project storage, while the collaborative space on both floors is available 24 hours a day. These spaces overlook the open practice bays, giving students a bird's-eye view of engineering projects in progress.

The facility also houses the nationally-recognized K-20 engineering education programs. Working with the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, K-20 engineering offers such programs as Adventure Engineering, Authentic Teaching Alliance, and Sooner Elementary Science and Engineering clubs to help younger students experience engineering in an informal, interactive and fun environment. Through programs such as these, the college leadership hopes to recruit more young people into future careers in science and math.

The building is named in memory of former Exxon chairman and OU petroleum engineering graduate Lawrence G. Rawl. Born June 4, 1928, in Lyndhurst, N.J., Rawl entered OU at the end of World War II after serving a two-year tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned his bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering in 1952, the same year he joined Humble Oil -- Refining Co., predecessor to Exxon Co. USA. In 1973, he became senior vice president of Exxon Co. USA and executive vice president in 1976. He was elected executive vice president of Esso Europe Inc. in 1978, senior vice president of Exxon Corp. in 1980, president in 1985, and chairman of the board and CEO in 1987.

Rawl was inducted into the OU College of Engineering's Distinguished Graduates Society in 1992 and awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from OU in 1993. He served for a number of years on the College of Engineering's Board of Visitors, and, in 1995, established the Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Scholarship at his alma mater.

For more information about the ceremony or for accommodations on the basis of disability, call the Office of Special Events at 325-3784.