The Munib and Angela Masri Foundation has committed to a multi-million dollar gift to the University of Texas at Austin to create a century long endowment at the University’s Jackson School of Geosciences.

Edgo chairman Munib R Masri and his wife Angela both graduated from the university in the 1950s. The endowment will allow the school to provide graduate fellowships for students admitted to the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin who attended any accredited university in Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon.

The endowment and fellowships agreements were signed on January 16, 2020, at Beit Felasteen in Nablus, Palestine in the presence of dignitaries and the leaderships of all the Palestinian universities. Representing the University of Texas at Austin was Dr. Sharon Mosher, Dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences, and Ms. Belle German, Director of Development and Alumni Relations.

Launching the fellowships, Munib R Masri said:

“I am truly honored to launch the Munib and Angela Masri Graduate fellowship which will support graduate students from accredited regional universities to study at the prestigious Jackson School of Geosciences.

“The intent of my gift is to make a 100 year commitment to The University of Texas at Austin and to graduate students to support training and research on water, land use, energy, climate, and environmental resilience, with an eye toward investigating how these critical resources interact as a system, so that the effects of human activities on habitat, water and energy resources, and climate can be accurately predicted and the management of natural resources can be optimized while maintaining a diverse and vital environment.

“On the geologic time scale, 100 years is nothing, but for humanity the next 100 years are critical. It is my hope that my commitment will make it possible for scholars to identify solutions to some of our most difficult challenges which have world-wide implications.”

The Jackson School of Geoscience at the University of Texas at Austin is among the most established and well-regarded geoscience programs in the world and seeks to advance the understanding of Earth as a system, its resources and environment for the lasting benefit of mankind.

Munib and Angela Masri, accompanied by their family, signing the agreement with Dr Sharon Mosher