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Welcome to The Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering
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Remembering CURTIS W. MEWBOURNE
The Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy and the University of Oklahoma is remembering the life and legacy of Curtis W. Mewbourne, who died today, June 23, 2022. The loyal OU alumnus and namesake of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy and the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering left a mark on the lives of the students he supported, faculty he championed and university he loved.
While studying at OU, Mr. Mewbourne was an active student in petroleum engineering organizations and a member of Phi Gamma Delta – even playing on the fraternity’s championship basketball team.
Mr. Mewbourne graduated from OU with a degree in petroleum engineering in 1958 and then served as an officer in the U.S. Army. After gaining experience in several areas of the oil and gas industry, he founded Mewbourne Oil Company in 1965. Over the coming decades, he would transform his company into one of the most successful privately-owned oil and gas producers in America.
Even amid the energy industry’s ups and downs, Mr. Mewbourne made it his mission to consistently equip and encourage OU’s petroleum engineering and geoscience students, faculty and staff.
In 1982 he endowed the Mewbourne Professorship in Petroleum Engineering. As of 2022, there are six Mewbourne Professorships in Petroleum Engineering as well as the Curtis Mewbourne Professorship, each of which underwrites the research and teaching activities of a petroleum engineering professor.
His endowments include the Mewbourne Enrichment Fund, which benefits undergraduate students and inspires faculty and staff to provide excellence in teaching. He also endowed the Mewbourne Leadership Scholars Program, which provides annual scholarships for entering freshmen and continues to support them through graduation. His most recent gift created the college’s Faculty Support Endowment.
In recognition of his longtime support, the University of Oklahoma named the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering in his honor in May of 2000, and granted him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 2002.
On Nov. 2, 2007, the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy was named in his honor, and he was bestowed the college’s Trailblazer Award for his professional achievements and lifetime commitment to the energy industry.
A statue forever memorializing Mr. Mewbourne with his loyal dog, Rebel, proudly stands at the entrance to Sarkeys Energy Center – the home of Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy – where it welcomes all who enter to learn, to dream, and to make the world a better place.
Decades of faculty and students alike have stories of Mr. Mewbourne’s generosity, intentionality, and genuine desire to encourage the future generations of the energy industry. Whether purchasing the only SEM microscope used by undergraduate petroleum engineering students in the nation or learning how new desks could contribute to a better classroom environment, Mr. Mewbourne was unwavering in his love for OU.
In the last 25 years, Mewbourne Oil Company has been the largest supporter of student scholarships and internships at OU.
The best way to remember Curtis Mewbourne and celebrate his legacy at the university is through his own words. On Feb. 11, 2000, he gave a speech to OU students at the Petroleum and Geological Engineering Distinguished Scholars Banquet. His words, his legacy and his dreams for Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy will live on.
Mewbourne College is collecting stories, anecdotes and memories about the many ways Mr. Mewbourne's philanthropy, leadership and friendship impacted all of us. You can submit your contributions here.
OU Students Attend 2022 SPE International North American Student Symposium
OU MPGE had 16 representatives attend the 2022 Society of Petroleum Engineers International North American Student Symposium. There were over 100 students from nearly 20 schools across the country in attendance and were joined by a great lineup of speakers, moderators, and industry representatives. This event is organized by students, for students, and would not have been possible without the hard work and year-long efforts our the planning committee from OU, OSU and Tulsa, who lead the way with programming, marketing, and industry engagement.
Students had a welcome remark from the 2022 SPE President Kamel Bennaceur as a video greeting and got to network with the 2023 SPE President as well as other industry professionals and students present.
Opening remarks were made by Clay Gasper, COO of Devon Energy, a panel session regarding graduate degrees and the required skill set for the industry moderated by Devon CTO Trey Lowe and Murphy Oil Corporation SVP Tom Mireles, as well as a young professional panel on alternative careers for a petroleum engineer from Baker Hughes representatives Maki Ikeda and Alireza Shahkarami and former SPE Regional Director and current MassMutual rep Chris Jenkins.
The session was concluded with remarks from the SPE CEO Mark Rubin.
SPE/SPWLA Student Paper Contest Winners
Results of the 2022 SPE/SPWLA student paper contest winners have been announced and are as follows:
| Ph.D. | M.S. | |
| SPWLA | Sidi Mamadou | Judah Odiachi |
| Felipe Cruz | Heehwan Yang | |
| SPE | Sidi Mamadou | Karan Shah |
| Cameron Devers | Judah Odiachi | |
| Felipe Cruz | Heehwan Yang |
Students were required to write a 400-word abstract and deliver a 10-minute presentation. The competition was done in three categories: undergraduate, M.S., and Ph.D. Cash prizes were given to students placing in first through fifth place. Winners of the OU SPE Student Paper Contest are in contention to go on to present at the SPE Mid Continent Paper Competition on May 14. The winners of the OU SPWLA Student Paper Contest will have the opportunity to present at the SPWLA International Student Paper Contest on June 12. Winners from both events move on to present at the SPWLA 63rd Annual Symposium held June 11-15 in Stavanger, Norway.
Carbon Utilization Storage Partnership of the Western United States.
In September 2019, the Department of Energy initiated the formation of the Carbon Utilization and Storage Partnership (CUSP) in the Western United States. CUSP was created to advance existing carbon capture utilization, storage research and development by addressing key challenges through cross disciplinary partnerships with other institutions. Oklahoma is one of the few regions in the country with existing pipeline infrastructure to transport captured CO2, has significant experience in using CO2 for enhanced oil recovery and a wealth of different types of geological storage. Through this partnership, the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering is helping advance the future of carbon capture here in the state of Oklahoma and across the country.
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MPGE Study Abroad
As a MPGE student (undergrad or grad), you will receive an automatic $500 Study Abroad Scholarship when you study abroad.
- Engineers in France (Summer 2022)
- Italy S.T.E.A.M. (Fall 2022)
Schedule a MPGE Tour
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