ANNUAL REPORT - The Petroleum Institute

A year of transformation, growth and success
Department of Petroleum Geoscience
Dr. Thomas Steuber, Chair
I. Chair’s Summary
The Petroleum Geosciences Department is
pleased to report on developments for the
academic year 2011-2012.
Eight students graduated at the end of the
academic year. The graduation of the first MSc
student in Petroleum Geosciences represents
a major milestone in the development
of the department. The total number of
Petroleum Geosciences students at the end
of the academic year is 90, including 79
undergraduates and 11 graduate students.
Dr. Aisha Al Suwaidi joined as Assistant
Professor after her PhD degree at the University
of Oxford. Her expertise is on the field of
isotope geochemistry and chemostratigraphy.
Muhammad Asim Iqbal joined as Geophysics
Laboratory Engineer.
Accreditation by the Accreditation Board
of Engineering and Technology (ABET) has
been achieved, and the department’s selfstudy
was selected for inclusion in a display of
well-prepared self-study reports at the ABET
Symposium in St. Louis, US.
Petroleum Geosciences students have again
been successful ambassadors of the program.
They are engaged in student chapters of
EAGE, SEG, and AAPG. For the fourth time in a
row, PI Petroleum Geosciences students have
won the annual regional challenge bowl of the
Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG).
This qualified them for the global competition
in Las Vegas. A group of graduates competed
successfully in the regional Imperial Barrel
Award of the American Association of
Petroleum Geologists (AAPG).
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