BASF employee balances job and coursework to complete MBA program
Amy Grassman featured in LSU business college's annual report

GEISMAR, La., Sept. 25, 2003 -- Balancing school coursework, a full-time job and volunteer activities can be difficult for many adults working toward a college degree. Support from a student's employer can sometimes make the difference in keeping that balance.

Amy Grassman, an operations engineer in the Polyols Plant at the BASF Geismar site, will complete the Professional M.B.A. program at Louisiana State University (LSU) in May 2004. She credits the support she received from BASF through its Education Assistance and Professional Development Programs as a large part of her success. Grassman was chosen to be featured in the annual report for LSU's E.J. Ourso College of Business Administration.

"My BASF experience has helped with completing my M.B.A. by offering real-world examples that reiterate topics and theories discussed in class," said Grassman. "Time management and team building skills developed through my work experience at BASF also play a large part in staying on top of assignments and group work."

After earning her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1999, Grassman worked at BASF's Wyandotte, Mich., plant as a project engineer. Since that time, she gained experience with the company as an operations engineer and a quality and regulatory coordinator at its Geismar and Mount Olive locations through the company's Professional Development Program.

Now that she is nearing the end of the MBA program, Grassman is working on her next goal: earning a professional engineer's license.

Between her work at BASF and her MBA coursework, she also volunteers for causes such as the March of Dimes, Habitat for Humanity, and school tutoring, which are organized at the BASF Geismar site.

"Balancing your life is difficult before throwing school on top of it, but if you are serious about earning your degree, don't prolong your decision," said Grassman. "There will always be something to hold you back, just make your decision and go for it!"

With more than 1,000 workers, the BASF Geismar site is one of the area's largest employers. The BASF Geismar site manufactures a wide range of products that are used in hundreds of consumer products.

BASF: Helping Make Products Better™
BASF is the world's leading chemical company, offering its customers a range of high-performance products, including chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as crude oil and natural gas. Its distinctive approach to integration, known in German as "Verbund," is its strength. It enables BASF to achieve cost leadership and gives the company a competitive advantage. BASF conducts its business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2002, BASF had sales of $34 billion and more than 89,000 employees worldwide. BASF Corporation is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. In North America, 2002 sales were approximately $8.2 billion and the company employs approximately 12,000 people. For more information or to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

For more information, contact:
Jonathan Evans
BASF Corporation
Tel: (973) 426-4144
E-mail: evansn@basf.com