BP Global, one of the world’s largest energy companies, is offering a new scholarship to OU students studying in energy-related fields.

The BP INSPIRE (Inviting New Students to Participate in the Reach for Excellence) program will give students access to scholarship money, professional mentors, leadership training and other benefits associated with the Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon Honors College, according to the Honors College’s Web site.

In the future, the Honors College, in conjunction with the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, the College of Engineering and the Price College of Business, will award the scholarship to up to 20 students. This year, only 12 students will receive the scholarship.

Any student from these colleges will be eligible for the program.

“The BP scholarship is great for students going into energy, but the best part is that you don’t have to be a petroleum engineer to be a BP recipient,” said Vicki Schaeffer, director of recruitment for the Honors College. “It’s a great opportunity to be working with BP and to provide students going into an energy field with a way to really understand what it’s all about.”

University College freshman Jonathon Garrett was one of the students selected to receive the INSPIRE scholarship. He said the this award will help him in multiple ways when he enters the energy business.

“The added benefits of being a BP scholar will be extremely helpful, especially when it comes to mentoring and advising,” Garrett said. “I’m hoping that the BP scholarship and opportunities might help me make specific decisions as to what field I will major in, as well as what career I hope to pursue.”

Once awarded the scholarship, students receive benefits including admittance to the Honors College, $1,000 to 3,000 in renewable scholarship money per year, first-year advising by the OU Scholars Program and access to on- and off-campus activities such as community service and career development programs.

Students who are interested in applying for the 2009 BP INSPIRE scholarship can complete an application at ou.edu/honors/bp.

2008 BP INSPIRE Scholarship recipients

• Zachary Dennis

• Jonathon Garrett

• Nick Kirch

• Karen Matambo

• My-Lien Nguyen

• Ethan Plunkett

• Joaquin Resasco

• Victoria Stolfa

• Gerrit Verbeek

• Henry Oliver Ware

• Louis Warner

• Aaron Westbrook