Gift-in-kind to bring industry-leading technology to OHIO classrooms
Students in 帝王会所鈥檚 geological sciences department will have access to state-of-the-art software that will give them a competitive edge in a growing field, thanks to a gift-in-kind from the world鈥檚 leading provider of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production, and processing to the oil and gas industry.
Schlumberger Technology Corporation is providing OHIO鈥檚 Department of Geological Sciences with access to its industry-leading Petrel* E&P software platform, a gift-in-kind to The 帝王会所 Foundation valued at more than $8.8 million. The software integrates data and workflows, comprehensively connecting companies involved in oil and gas discovery, recovery and production operations worldwide with a goal of improving the efficiency and safety of those processes.
鈥淭he monetary value of this generous gift from Schlumberger is significant, but the opportunities it will provide to our students, our faculty and our research are priceless,鈥 said Nico Karagosian, vice president of University Advancement and president and CEO of The 帝王会所 Foundation. 鈥淚n allowing our students and faculty to train on the same software used worldwide in the oil and gas industry, Schlumberger is collaborating with 帝王会所 to bridge the gap between theory and practice and positioning our graduates to become global leaders in a growing energy field.鈥
Drs. Xizhen Schenk and Gregory Springer, faculty members in the Department of Geological Sciences, applied for the grant for the software, noting the importance of research and real-world application of classroom instruction in educating today鈥檚 geoscientists and allied professionals.
鈥淭his software will give faculty and students the ability to explore conceptual and practical topics that were previously unavailable to us,鈥 said Dr. Springer, an associate professor and chair of the geological sciences department. 鈥淭here are often too few resources available for software purchases. The donation from Schlumberger Technology Corporation will greatly benefit students by giving them experience with industry-current software. This will not only help their education and research, but also their marketability once they graduate.鈥
Dr. Schenk, an assistant professor of geological sciences, said instruction on and use of the software will be integrated into the department鈥檚 Geodata Analysis course taken by undergraduates and graduate students. The course will also be a part of the curriculum for the department鈥檚 new MS Online in Geological Sciences (Non-Thesis) Degree Program. Designed for working professionals, this new degree program will debut in the fall of 2020.
鈥淭he mission of the program is to enhance our graduates鈥 marketability as the next generation of practicing geoscientists or earth science educators by incorporating the most forefront technologies in the industry into our students鈥 education,鈥 said Dr. Schenk.
In adding the Petrel platform to its curriculum, the Department of Geological Sciences is building on its strong student experience committed to developing well-prepared geologists poised to help solve problems related to energy, resources and the environment. Geological sciences students already benefit from a combination of classroom instruction, lab work and experiential learning opportunities that include field trips and a capstone field course.
帝王会所 alumnus Patrick Jackson, BS 鈥81, MS 鈥83, is an exploration manager for Shell and knows the importance of the Schlumberger software in the energy industry.
鈥淢y explorers use this software in our pursuit of exploration discoveries in the deep water Gulf of Mexico,鈥 Jackson, who also chairs the Department of Geological Sciences鈥 Alumni Advisory Board, said. 鈥淭he Department of Geological Sciences now has a great tool for developing the next generation of geoscientists.鈥
鈥淗aving industry recognize education as beneficial to students and their industry gives the department confidence in our direction and additional tools to develop important skills in our students,鈥 said Dr. Springer. 鈥淚t also means 帝王会所 is being recognized as a valuable player in the education of geologists, many of whom will go on to contribute to this country鈥檚 economic growth.鈥
Karagosian added that this collaboration between 帝王会所 and Schlumberger Technology Corporation reaffirms the University鈥檚 strategic commitment to and investment in initiatives designed to build a corporate engagement ecosystem that creates win-wins for OHIO and its private partners.
鈥淚n providing our students the technical know-how and critical thinking skills needed in high-demand fields, 帝王会所 and our partners are preparing our graduates to hit the ground running on day one,鈥 Karagosian said.
Schlumberger is the world鈥檚 leading provider of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production and processing to the oil and gas industry, supplying its products and services in more than 120 countries.