News

The Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) has announced the recipients of its 2023 Distinguished Alumni Awards. This year’s honorees join a select group of alumni who are leaders and innovators shaping the oil and gas industry, tackling tough global energy challenges, and embodying the excellence and ingenuity that are hallmarks of UT PGE.

Just in time for summer reading, the latest UT PGE News e-update is here! Professor Matt Balhoff named next department chair, Glen Baum retires after 30+ years, EAGE and SPE award winners, $13 million in methane emissions mitigation research, students win national Chevron energy contest, and much more.

The Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) ranked first in the 2023 World University Rankings by Subject compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the leading provider of analytics to the global higher education sector. Stanford University ranked 2nd and Texas A&M University ranked 3rd.

Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) Research Associate Professor Arvind Ravikumar has been awarded $13 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and partner groups for three projects focused on methane emissions mitigation. These grants are part of nearly $47 million in DOE funding to advance the development of new and innovative measurement, monitoring and mitigation technologies to help detect, quantify and reduce methane emissions across oil- and natural-gas-producing regions of the United States.

Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) Associate Professor David DiCarlo has been named a Spring 2023 Accessibility Champion by The University of Texas at Austin Disability and Access Office (D&A).

Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) Associate Professor Hugh Daigle spent 33 days at sea this summer researching “Neogene History of Mass Transport Deposits Offshore North Carolina” as part of a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Daigle is principal investigator on the three-year project, which is a partnership between The University of Texas at Austin and Columbia University.

Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) Professor Kamy Sepehrnoori won the 2023 Desiderius Erasmus Award from the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) in June. Given annually, the award recognizes a geoscientist or engineer for lifetime contributions and lasting achievements in the field of resource exploration and development.

Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) Senior Academic Advisor Neal Idais received the 2022–2023 Taking Initiative to Create Positive Change Award from The University of Texas at Austin’s Academic Counselors Association (ACA). The award recognizes individuals in the advising community who have developed an innovative system, tool, program or process.

Two faculty members in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) won awards in May from the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Southwestern North America Region. Associate Professor John Foster received the Data Science and Engineering Analytics Award, and Research Associate Professor Arvind Ravikumar received the Sustainability and Stewardship in the Oil and Gas Industry Award.

Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) Student Program Coordinator Gabby Banales has won a 2023 President’s Outstanding Staff Award and a 2023 Cockrell School of Engineering Staff Excellence Award.