The University of Oklahoma College of Engineering celebrated a major milestone with the construction of Devon Energy Hall and the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility at an 11 a.m. “topping out” ceremony June 27.

A tower crane placed the last girder — signed by everyone who has had a part in the construction — atop the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility. Both new buildings, which will open to students in 2009, were topped with a tree, signifying growth and new life.

“For nearly 100 years, the College of Engineering has produced the most sought-after engineers,” said Thomas L. Landers, dean of the College of Engineering. “Thanks to the generosity of Devon Energy Corporation and ExxonMobil, we can continue that commitment to excellence for another century.”

Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy Corporation gave $10 million for Devon Energy Hall. At more than 103,000 square feet, the five-story Devon Energy Hall will house classrooms, team rooms, teaching labs and research space.

“This is an exciting step in the construction of Devon Energy Hall,” said Larry Nichols, Devon chairman and chief executive officer. “We are one step closer in providing a world-class facility that will provide the next generation of engineers with the resources needed to drive future innovations and solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges.”

In January 2006, ExxonMobil announced its $5 million gift in honor of former Exxon chairman Lawrence G. Rawl. The 41,000-square-foot ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility will include 10,000 square feet of space for students to work in teams designing and building engineering projects.

The facility also will include the Engineering Student Leadership Center, Tutoring Center and Information Commons, with computer resources for analysis, design, modeling and simulation.