AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin’s new Engineering Discovery Building (EDB) will be named in honor of Autry C. Stephens, a renowned oil and gas pioneer and UT alumnus whose contributions have shaped the energy industry in Texas and inspired generations of engineers.
The 210,000-square-foot facility, set to open in 2026, will become the home of the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering. The departments’ graduate programs are ranked first and eighth in the country, respectively, and their undergraduate programs are ranked second and fifth in the country. The facility represents the interdisciplinary nature of energy research at The University of Texas at Austin, where students and faculty members advance emerging technologies that continue to improve the world-leading oil and gas industry in Texas.
“My dad always recognized his education at The University of Texas as one of the major building blocks in his life — a game changer on his path from the melon patch to oil patch,” said Lyndal Stephens Greth, Stephens’ daughter and director and executive chairman of the Stephens Greth Foundation. “There’s no better way to honor him than our investment in future generations of students who will move the energy industry forward.”
The son of peanut and melon farmers, Stephens was the first member of his family to go to college, earning a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering at UT in 1961 and a master’s a year later. After stints at Humble Oil (now part of Exxon Mobil Corp.), service in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and as an oil and gas appraiser, he made his biggest mark through the company he founded, Endeavor Energy Resources.
Stephens believed in the potential of the Permian Basin, amassing drilling rights for 350,000 acres and holding them for decades, with a keen eye toward the ideal time for development. His entrepreneurial nature allowed him to weather the boom-and-bust cycles of the industry and continue to build momentum. Shortly before his death last year, Stephens secured the future for his family and employees by selling Endeavor to another Midland-based company, Diamondback Energy, creating the third-largest oil and gas producer in the region. Now, his family is investing in the communities that enabled his success.
“One of the greatest gifts our University can receive is the gift of opportunity,” said UT President Jim Davis. “It is fitting that our Engineering Discovery Building will bear Autry C. Stephens’ name as both a pioneer and a creator of opportunity for countless UT students to study in a world-class facility and follow his daring path to change the world in their own way. The incredible generosity of Mr. Stephens and his daughter, Lyndal, is what makes this possible, and I cannot thank them enough.”
The Autry C. Stephens Engineering Discovery Building is part of the Cockrell School’s ongoing efforts to update its facilities and ensure Texas Engineers have the tools they need to develop solutions to the world’s evolving challenges. It connects to the Gary L. Thomas Energy Engineering Building, which opened in 2022.
A signature element of both buildings are the large open labs that bring to life the effort to knock down walls between disciplines. The building also features flipped classrooms, environmentally inspired study areas, new lecture halls and the redesigned Mulva Courtyard, featuring artwork by renowned sculptor Maya Lin that will feature the night sky from the evening of the University’s founding.
“This is a transformational moment for Texas Engineering,” said Roger Bonnecaze, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering. “The Autry C. Stephens Engineering Discovery Building ensures we have facilities that match the world-class talent of our faculty and students. The resources and spaces will educate the next generation of engineers who will follow in Autry’s footsteps. When we would meet, he was always curious about our global reach. His contributions to the energy sector and commitment to innovation have changed the world and align perfectly with the mission of the Cockrell School.”
Learn more about Autry C. Stephens and follow along with the progress of our newest facility.
