“IPSCO believes the community will benefit by having a strong, well-equipped engineering school at USA,” said Paul Wilson, works manager of IPSCO Steel (Alabama) Inc. “IPSCO and all of the other industries in the area need well-prepared engineers to operate facilities in the future. We believe the contribution is a win-win situation for the University and IPSCO.”

Dr. John Steadman, dean of the USA College of Engineering, said the IPSCO gift continues the company’s tradition of being an industry partner to the college.

“IPSCO Steel has been a long-time supporter of the College of Engineering through its leadership on our industrial advisory board and several of our graduates are part of the IPSCO engineering staff. IPSCO also provides opportunities for our students to learn about the steel industry in Alabama,” Steadman said.

Dr. Joseph F. Busta Jr., vice president for development and alumni relations, said IPSCO’s gift shows a commitment from the University’s corporate partners and marks the first Campaign USA contribution by an international company.

“The IPSCO gift will help enhance our College of Engineering, and shows corporate support for USA and its programs through Campaign USA,” Busta said.

The IPSCO gift is part of Campaign USA, the University’s first comprehensive fund-raising campaign that seeks to raise $75 million for USA programs, faculty, students and construction over the next three years. Campaign USA was launched in March and, to date, has raised $40.8 million.

Campaign USA will enrich all aspects of USA, from its academic colleges and schools to its hospitals, athletic programs, libraries and campuses. The money raised will be used to fund such items as undergraduate and graduate scholarships, professorships, classroom and laboratory equipment, and health care innovations. Funds will also be used for capital enhancements to USA’s track and soccer programs, a University archives building and campus bell tower.

The campaign is led by some 50 outstanding local and national business leaders.

For information on Campaign USA, go to www.campaignusaleadership.com or call (251) 460-7032.

IPSCO Inc.

IPSCO operates steel mills at three locations and pipe mills at six locations in Canada and the United States. As a low cost North American steel producer, IPSCO has a combined annual steel making capacity of 3.5 million tons and provides further processing at its five cut-to-length lines located in both the United States and Canada. The company’s tubular facilities produce a wide range of tubular products including line pipe, oil and gas well casing and tubing, standard pipe and hollow structurals. The company, which employs in excess of 2,800 people directly and through its subsidiary companies, reported record earnings of $585.8 million on $3 billion in sales in 2005.

The University of South Alabama

Since its founding in 1963, the University of South Alabama has been one of Alabama’s fastest growing universities, currently enrolling more than 13,300 students in a wide range of academic programs in Allied Health Professions, Arts and Sciences, Mitchell College of Business, Computer and Information Sciences, Continuing Education and Special Programs, Education, Engineering, Medicine, and Nursing. The University has awarded more than 57,000 degrees.

In addition to teaching and research, USA is one of the largest health care providers in the Mobile region, with its faculty physicians and two hospitals – Children’s and Women’s and USA Medical Center – involved in more than a quarter million patient encounters annually.