Invitation Extended to Attend AAPG/SEG Spring Student Expo

Energy Industry companies and college students studying in geosciences disciplines are invited to participate in the 4th annual AAPG/SEG Spring Student Expo, which will be will be held at the Sarkeys Energy Center on the University of Oklahoma main campus in Norman, Oklahoma, on April 22-24. This year’s Spring Student Expo has been scheduled to correspond with the end of the AAPG Annual Convention in Dallas, Texas (Norman is a mere three hours north of Dallas).

This year’s Spring Expo will again feature formal interviews with energy industry company representatives; a scientific poster contest for students; energy industry company exhibits; numerous opportunities for energy industry company representatives to network; and two mini-courses and a field trip.

At the Spring Expo Icebreaker reception Kathy Sokolic, student at University of Oklahoma, spoke with AAPG 2003-04 President Dan Smith (middle) and Bob Stewart from ExxonMobil.

This event provides an additional opportunity for employers from small to mid-size companies to interview potential summer interns, part-time, or full-time employees. Also, larger companies who formally recruit on campuses each Fall are offered an additional opportunity to recruit future potential employees. Energy-related organizations and companies will also have the opportunity to host exhibit booths and network with students. Several students received offers for internships and full-time positions as a direct result of participating in the Expo.

Teresa Fairbrook, Human Resources Supervisor for Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc., felt her company’s time at this year’s Spring Student Expo in Norman was well-spent:

"This was the first time that Pioneer had participated in this event and we thought it was well-organized and our objective of finding potential intern candidates was met. All of the planning for the interview schedules and evening events was well done, there wasn’t any confusion like what one might expect at such a large event. In addition, thus far, we have extended 5 offers to students that we interviewed at the Expo. . . One of the great benefits of attending this event was the exposure to a variety of students from universities across the country. The students’ poster sessions were well-done and they all seemed very enthusiastic about their research and presentations. We would gladly support any future Expo at OU and look forward to attending again in 2004."

Several students also let the Spring Student Expo planning committee know what they thought of their experiences at the Expo. Southern Illinois University student Karyn Kasprzak:

"The AAPG/SEG Spring Student Expo let us (the students) meet the companies that are hiring and to see what type of people and work is needed in the industry. The Expo gave me a chance to show companies what I am doing and to get noticed (since I attend a school that is not normally recruited at). The Expo also gave me a chance to see the type of work other students are doing."

Iowa State University student Dan Tschopp said: "The Expo was an excellent opportunity to get a foot in the door. It was well worth the drive!"

Marco Vignali, University of Oklahoma, accepts his award of $500 for Geophysics Poster First Place, from Head Spring Expo Judge David Campbell.

The Spring Expo planning committee anticipates an even larger number of students in 2004. Located at the geographic crossroads of the United States, OU is an ideal place to hold an Expo designed to serve students around the country. These students are diverse, represent many schools, and are motivated to invest their own time and effort to attend. An added bonus is that the Spring Expo will be held immediately following the AAPG Annual Meeting in Dallas.

Company personnel will be provided with student resumés and abstract books in early April so that they may set up tentative interview schedules for April 24th. Details of the formal interview process will be provided along with the books. Company personnel will be able to informally talk with students during an icebreaker the evening of April 23rd, as well as during the poster session and more formal onsite pre-scheduled 30-minute interviews on April 24th. The culmination of the expo will be the Awards Reception from 4:30-7:30pm on Saturday, April 24th, with guest speaker to be announced.

Be a Sponsor

The Expo is also accepting large sponsorship for lunches, the ice breaker reception, dinner, and poster contest awards (all meals on April 23rd and 24th are provided free of charge to the students). Sponsorships will be posted at the Expo and on the Expo website, as well as in acknowledgements in follow-up articles in trade publications.

Two pre-Expo mini courses and one field trip will also be offered to student and company expo participants:

• Dr. Roger Slatt, Director of the OU School of Geology & Geophysics, 2002-03 SPE Distinguished Lecturer and 2001-02 AAPG Distinguished Lecturer, will teach "Petroleum Geology of Deepwater (Turbidite) Depositional Systems" on Thursday afternoon and all day Friday, April 22 and 23.
• OU Geophysics Professor Alan Witten will teach "Computer Graphics for Geophysics," on Thursday afternoon and all day Friday, April 22 and 23.
• Members of the Oklahoma Geological Survey will lead a "One-Day Field Trip to the Arbuckle Mountains" on April 23rd.

Students and company representatives listen with interest to Jim Chaplin, Oklahoma Geological Survey, during one of the field trips in the Arbuckle Mountains.

All three of these events were well-attended in 2003 and received many favorable comments from student participants:

"I attended the OU AAPG/SEG student expo and took Dr. Slatt’s turbidite minicourse. I feel I benefited greatly from this experience, I had a great time, and I appreciate the effort the organizing committee went through to set all of this up and make it happen. Thank you -- I feel like the students got a great deal!" -- Matt Chapman, Miami University [Ohio]

"This was the first student expo that I’ve been to and I’m glad I had the opportunity. Everything was great, from the people who organized it to the people who attended, as well as the class I took in 3-D modeling for Geophysics applications. I really want to do it again." -- Sirel White, University of New Orleans

The Expo is being hosted by the University of Oklahoma Sarkeys Energy Center, the School of Geology and Geophysics, and the Oklahoma Geological Survey. A tax-deductible financial donation is required of organizations wishing to interview and/or host an exhibit (see levels in the informational brochure available upon request by contacting Sue Crites at 405/325-8971 or via e-mail: scrites@ou.edu). Registration for students and companies, as well as student poster abstracts, are all due by March 30th.