COLLEGE NEWS

The Oklahoma Geological Survey Celebrates its Centennial

The field camp of the Oklahoma Territorial Geological and Natural History Survey, stopped near Perry, Oklahoma, in 1900.  Charles Newton Gould, the man leaning on the wagon, later became Dr. Gould, who helped incorporate the Oklahoma Geological Survey into the Constitution and became its first Director.  He is known as the “Father of Oklahoma Geology” and was an important figure in the early days of the petroleum industry in the State.  Gould taught the first geology classes at The University of Oklahoma in 1900.
The Oklahoma Geological Survey has the distinction of being the only such agency mandated in a new state's constitution. The founders believed that natural resources were so vital to Oklahoma's future that they needed a Constitutional provision for an agency to investigate the state's land, water, mineral, and energy resources and disseminate the results of those investigations to promote the wise use consistent with sound environmental practices. The Survey was established in the 1907 Constitution and the enabling act was signed into law on May 29, 1908.

In order to celebrate its rich history and years of public service to the state of Oklahoma, OGS is planning a centennial celebration for November 21, 2008. Plans for the event are currently being finalized. Please refer to the OGS website for more information: http://ogs.ou.edu/


The Oklahoma Geological Survey Loses Chief Geophysicist

OGS Chief Geophysicist
James E. Lawson
December 27, 1938–August 4, 2008
OGS Chief Geophysicist James E. Lawson was tragically killed Sunday, August 3 in a car wreck just outside of Bixby, Oklahoma. Lawson, 69, had worked at the OGS Geophysical Observatory at Leonard, Oklahoma since 1970 before it was incorporated into the OGS in 1978. Jim lived on the grounds of the Observatory and often worked long hours at the facility. He was available day and night to the news media when an earthquake occurred. He was very involved with the Red Cross, and donated much of his spare time to testing and analyzing blood samples. He will be missed as a colleague and friend by the OGS staff. Email tributes to Jim can be sent to ogs@ou.edu and they will be passed along to his friends and family.


Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering Update

This fall MPGE welcomes three new faculty members as Assistant Professors, tenure track. Each brings enthusiasm and experience that will greatly enhance the combined expertise of faculty in the department.


Ramadan Ahmed
Ramadan Ahmed received his Ph.D. from Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He has been actively involved in drilling related research with recent focus on wellbore hydraulics and cuttings transport. He has extensive teaching experience in drilling and completion and plans to establish a Wellbore Simulation Laboratory at OU to help students explore the fundamental concepts related to wellbore hydraulics and well control.


Deepak Devegowda
Deepak Devegowda earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. His recent research activity includes streamline assisted Ensemble Kalman Filter formulation and field application. Additional research interests include reservoir properties, reservoir characterization, and deepwater and subsea production systems. This fall he is teaching two undergraduate sections in Petroleum Reservoir Fluids.


Bor-Jier Shiau
Bor-Jier Shiau completed his graduate degrees at the University of Oklahoma in Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering. His research experience in the petroleum industry includes interests in multi-phase flow in porous media, enhanced oil recovery and contaminated site investigation. He holds five patents and is the recent Director of the Applied Surfactant Laboratory within the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, providing services in oil and gas production, environmental remediation, and consumer products design.

The School continues to search for two endowed professor positions. Click here to read more information about the available positions.

Chandra Rai, Director MPGE
MPGE will have about 40 new graduate students this fall. The department will support 21 graduate teaching assistants and 29 graduate research assistants this fall.

Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering major goals for the new academic year include:
  • Continue to recruit top quality graduate students
  • Move the Natural Gas Engineering Management Program to distance learning, as much as possible
  • Complete the undergraduate labs upgrade and make them operational
  • Continue efforts to hire two chaired faculty positions


ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics Update

Ze've Reches
This fall, CPGG welcomes new faculty member, Dr. Ze've Reches. Reches served as a regular tenured professor at OU in geology and geophysics in the 1990’s and returned to campus three years ago in a renewable term position. Dr. Reches has recently accepted the Structural Geology position and he is now a tenured full professor. Dr. Reches received his Ph.D. from Stanford University. His research is concerned with upper crust deformation, and it is focused on earthquakes, faulting, and rock fracturing. He teaches our undergraduate courses in Structural Geology and Introduction to Field Geology as well as graduate courses in Geomechanics and Fractures, Faults and Earthquakes.

In the continuing effort to build the geophysics program, Kurt Marfurt is chair of the search committee for a junior level geophysicist the school plan to hire this coming year. Click here to read more information about the available position.

Undergraduate and graduate enrollments are increasing in CPSGG. The funds provided by generous donations of our alumni as well the match provided by Mr. Curtis Mewbourne as part the college capital campaign have allowed the school to increase the number of graduate fellowships/assistant offers. There will be about 20 new graduate students in the fall of 2008. The School will be supporting 30 graduate students and providing over $500,000 in teaching assistant and fellowship support in 08-09.

Last fall there were 27 companies on campus to interview students and another high number is expected for this fall. The CPGG students continue to be in high demand with many receiving multiple internship and full time offers. The AAPG-SEG Spring Break Student Expo was a success again this year with 33 company sponsors and 213 students attending from 52 universities.

Doug Elmore, Director CPGG

The ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics' major goals for the coming academic year are to:
  • Continue the initiative to recruit high quality graduate students and better compete with other institutions
  • Continue to increase the number of undergraduate majors
  • Continue with an initiative, in collaboration with the English Department and the Writing Center at OU, to improve the writing ability of the undergraduates
  • Continue to build the geophysics program
  • Continue to expand research efforts
  • Start to evaluate long range plans for field camp