Chevron and Colorado School of Mines have established a comprehensive facility for education in analytical and experimental techniques for the characterization of Earth materials.  The driver for development of this facility is the recognition that hands-on experience in analytical and experimental techniques is the cornerstone of technical education in Earth science and engineering. 

CSM is one of the few universities with an established interdisciplinary teaching tradition coupled with extensive analytical and experimental instrumentation dedicated to characterization of materials for geology, petroleum engineering, geophysics, and civil engineering.  The Center provides an environment for teaching of Earth science and engineering courses in Earth Materials, Mechanics, and Modeling.  The Center ensures that the next generation of Earth scientists and engineers has the in-depth expertise in material characteristics and properties to meet the future demands of the energy industry.