Geology Students Receive Recognition

Exciting news! The UT Permian Basin IBA team received first place at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Forum in the Southwest section. Competition for this award was rigorous and it is unusual for a school the size of UTPB to receive this kind of recognition. Amazingly, this is only the third year that UTPB has fielded a team. The team competed against UT El Paso, UT Dallas, UT Arlington, TCU and Texas Tech in their division.

Like larger schools, the University offers a semester long course to prepare for this competition. Dr. Sumit Verma, assistant professor in Geology and a STAR faculty member, was the advisor for this outstanding team. The team also had the assistance of two industry consultants from EOG Resources and received a donation to cover travel expenses from the West Texas Geological Society (WTGS). Without question, this award is a great example of the opportunities that we offer our students as they learn in the epicenter of the Permian Basin where geological properties and technological advancements have global significance. We are educating the next generation of thinkers, problem solvers, inventors and leaders.