A personal gift from Lafayette businessman Donald Mosing is the largest of its kind for UL Lafayette’s College of Engineering. Mosing, of Frank’s Casing Crew & Rental Tools, Inc., donated $2.83 million to the college. He graduated in 1950 in mechanical engineering at UL Lafayette.
His gift will fund a $1 million endowed chair, a new computer-aided design laboratory for students and a student career development program.
“Mr. Mosing’s success is a testament to the value of a solid education, hard work and determination. The gift we are announcing today is emblematic of his leadership,” said UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie.
By enhancing three major academic components: innovative education, hands-on technology and career development, his gift will help the university prepare future world-class engineers.
$230,000 of Mr. Mosing’s $2.83 million gift will be used to establish the Frank’s Computer Aided Design Laboratory in Rougeou Hall. This student-oriented laboratory will feature state-of-the-art CAD software. An estimated 400 students will use this lab each year. A special dedication ceremony will be held in a few months for this facility.
$600,000 of Mr. Mosing’s gift will be matched with $400,000 from the Louisiana Board of Regents to establish the Donald and Janice Mosing/Board of Regents Endowed Chair in Mechanical Engineering. This will enable the college to attract and retain a top-notch mechanical engineering professor who will focus on innovative engineering technology development.
$2 million of his gift will be used to create The Frank and Jessie Mosing Endowed Engineering Student Career Development Program. This endowment is named in honor of Mr. Mosing’s parents. At the onset, this gift will establish a new position at UL Lafayette: the Frank and Jessie Mosing Engineering Career Development Program Coordinator, who will steward several key components of career development:
• the Frank and Jessie Mosing Designing Leaders Program. Fashioned after “Leadership Lafayette,” it will focus on teaching leadership skills and exposing students to ‘real world’ engineering.
• the Frank and Jessie Mosing Engineering Ambassadors Program. Engineering student volunteers will learn how to interact with industry representatives and recruit potential engineering students.
• In the that same vein, the Frank and Jessie Mosing Engineering Outreach Program will better educate high school and community college students about career opportunities in engineering.
• the Tech Walk Expo. Each fall semester, students and regional industry and community members will be invited to tour UL Lafayette laboratories to learn more about R&D projects. The expo also will provide opportunities for interaction between industry representatives and UL Lafayette engineering students.
• the Frank and Jessie Mosing Engineering Lecture Series. Funds will support visits by acknowledged industry experts and university leaders to present one to three formal lectures to students, faculty and community members. Each year, this series will expose students and faculty to new ideas while also introducing visiting speakers to our university and the community.
“ Mr. Mosing’s generous gift will encourage young people to consider a career in engineering,” said Dr. Mark Zappi, dean of UL Lafayette’s College of Engineering. “It also will benefit our local industry and beyond and will help the university deliver world-class employees.”
Donald Mosing is the eldest son of Frank and Jessie Mosing. His 67 years of leadership and innovation at Frank’s Casing, founded by his father and family-owned and based in Lafayette to this day, has translated into 36 patents and the growth of the original company and affiliates into an organization that spans the U.S. and the globe, serving the domestic and international energy industry in more than 40 countries.
He retired as President in 2011 and presently is chairman emeritus and technical advisor to the Board of Directors of Frank’s Casing. In 1997, he received the LAGOE Looey award from the Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition. Most recently, he received World Oil’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
PHOTO: Dr. Mark Zappi, dean of College of Engineering; Brad Mosing, UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie. Sitting: Donald Mosing.