Stephen F. Austin University Renames Endowed Scholarship Fund to Honor Robert L. Banks, Retired STMicroelectronics Executive

Robert (Bob) Banks, a 39-year Quality-Management veteran at STMicroelectronics until his retirement in 2010 and a native of Rusk, Texas, was an internal champion of the benefits of reforestation. Bob pioneered the US portion of ST’s global reforestation project and was intimately involved with identifying and purchasing lands suitable for reforestation of Loblolly Pine and various hardwoods in East Texas. By 2004 almost 3,500 acres of trees had been planted under Bob’s watchful eye.

“There is no one more deserving of this recognition than Bob for his tireless efforts and demonstrable achievements in the area of environmental sustainability. Proudly, the Robert L. Banks scholarship is evidence that ST’s environmental strategy still produces considerable savings, reinforcing our conviction that ‘ecology is free.’ Case in point, this scholarship is fully funded by a portion of the revenues from the sale of harvested timber and hunting leases on the donated land,” said Robert Krysiak, Executive Vice President of STMicroelectronics and General Manager of STMicroelectronics’ Americas Region.

STMicroelectronics’ reforestation project achieves carbon sequestration while maintaining a sustainable healthy forest, contributing to the preservation of biodiversity, avoiding the loss of soil and natural habitats, and supporting research and educational advancements in reforestation and carbon sequestration. Globally, ST supports ongoing reforestation projects on more than 23,000 acres and has planted more than 10 million trees in the US, Italy, Morocco and Australia. In 2009, total CO2 sequestered through ST’s entire reforestation programs compensated for 70% of ST's direct CO2 emissions (scope 1 of the Greenhouse Gases Protocol). The Company expects to reach carbon neutrality for its direct emissions in 2012.

Steven H. Bullard, Dean of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, stated, “We planted the first trees in 2004, and now Bob, my students and I have seen the success of this project. Students are collecting CO2 sequestration data, researching undergrowth patterns, conducting aerial monitoring and measuring forest growth. Thanks to STMicroelectronics’ vision and Bob’s dedication, the donated lands are utilized for research and educational purposes, and are also providing the funds for much needed scholarships for the next generation of stewards of the land.”