In celebration of International Women in Engineering Day on June 23, Columbia Gas of Kentucky has announced a $25,000 grant to the University of Kentucky (UK) Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering for an upcoming expansion project.
The donation, made through the NiSource Charitable Foundation, will support the $110 million renovation of the college’s Funkhouser Building, set to begin in 2026. The project will give the college much-needed teaching and research space to meet enrollment growth, faculty additions and research expansion. The expansion will include additional classrooms, an auditorium, innovation and collaboration spaces, and experiential and web-laboratory spaces.
The award was presented by Columbia Gas of Kentucky President & COO Kimra Cole, who holds a chemical engineering degree and an MBA from UK and now serves on the dean’s advisory board.
“Our college is proud to have produced a talented and successful alum like Kimra Cole," said Rudy Buchheit, the Rebecca Burchett Liebert Dean of the College of Engineering. "The generous donation of $25,000 from Columbia Gas toward the Funkhouser Renovation Project is a testament to our efforts in building a bright future for the next generation of engineers. Through initiatives like this, Kimra is leading by example and inspiring a new generation of women to pursue careers in engineering.”
When Cole graduated from the engineering program, there were only 19 women in her class of 166 students. She became the first woman engineer at Columbia Gas of Kentucky.
“My background in engineering has influenced many aspects of my career, so I’m excited about this special opportunity for our company to support my alma mater in this effort,” Kimra said. “At Columbia Gas, we value inclusion and diversity and the contributions of women in the workplace, so we are pleased to support this project and the college’s efforts to recruit, nurture and connect women in engineering.”
Columbia Gas proudly touts two additional women engineers on its staff and has hosted several more through college internships and co-op programs.
University of Kentucky civil engineering graduate Madison Oliver joined the Columbia Gas team in 2021 and now designs plans for pipeline upgrades and new construction projects across our 30-county service territory.
Shannon Brady, who graduated from the University of Louisville with a chemical engineering degree, served as an intern before joining the engineering staff in 2019. She now uses her engineering background as a Safety Management System leader to enhance the safety of our pipelines and work processes.
