UT PGE

Ahead of our ceremony on October 16th, we asked our 2026 Distinguished Alumni honorees to reflect on their careers, what this honor means to them and what advice they have for the next generation of PGE students.

For National Academy of Engineering member, James Brill, this recognition is a reminder of both his impact on generations of students and the technical excellence that defines petroleum engineering. His contributions to the field span academic leadership at The University of Tulsa College of Engineering and Computer Science, ground breaking research in multiphase flow data and prediction modeling, and international oil and gas consulting.

Hear the takeaways from his 40+ year career at https://pge.utexas.edu/news/from-experience-career-insights-from-our-2026-distinguished-alumni-honorees/.

For information about event tickets or sponsorship, please contact Michelle Proctor at [email protected].

We’re looking for a strategic, collaborative leader to join our team as our next Director of Administration & Operations. 🤘

Become a part of the world’s top petroleum engineering program and help lead the department making global impacts on the future of energy from the heart of Austin.

Interested or know someone who would be a great fit? Apply today or share this opportunity with your network!

https://pge.utexas.edu/connect/contact/

Congratulations to four outstanding members of our department who have been recognized with 2026 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) International Awards!

🏅 Dr. Mojdeh Delshad - 2026 SPE/AIME Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal for Technical Leadership
🏅 Jon Olson - 2026 SPE Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty
🏅 Kishore Mohanty - 2026 SPE/AIME Honorary Member Award
🏅 Pradeep Ashok - 2026 SPE Data Science and Engineering Analytics Award

These prestigious honors recognize their exceptional and dedicated contributions to the field of petroleum engineering through research, education and innovation.

Read more about their achievements at https://pge.utexas.edu/news/2026-spe-international-awards/.

Hey Alumni! Do you have great stories or photos from your time in the CPE building?

As PGE and the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering prepare to relocate to the new Autry C. Stephens Engineering Discovery Building, we want to reminisce with you–the students who walked the halls, tailgated on the lawn and crammed in the Caudle Center.

Comment below or send in your stories, photos and memories to [email protected] to be featured in our upcoming content about our home for nearly 40 years.

Research excellence on display! 🏆 Earlier this summer, Ph.D. Candidate Mariella Khoury won the Best Poster Presentation at the 67th Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) Symposium. This award not only recognizes the quality of the presentation itself, but also the technical merit of the associated paper.

Under Professor Zoya Heidari, Mariella’s research combines laboratory measurements with numerical simulations to improve the interpretation of electromagnetic measurements in rocks with complex pore structures and mineralogical compositions. These interpretations help develop physics-based rock models to reliably estimate porosity, salt concentration and cation-exchange capacity.

Winning this award is an exciting milestone, but to Mariella, the chance to showcase her work to industry researchers and leaders was just as valuable. “Presenting at the SPWLA Symposium gave me a valuable opportunity to reflect on my research and receive feedback from experts in the field on how to improve and advance it,” she said.

Congratulations, Mariella, on this well-deserved achievement! 👏

Midland Texas, it’s your turn! 🤘

Join us at our alumni meet-up, in collaboration with ComboCurve and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center. Catch up with Department Chair, Matthew Balhoff, and Professor, Larry Lake.

📣 Thursday, August 6 | 5:30 - 7:00pm

📍The Patio Drafthouse, 2101 W Wadley Ave, Ste 45, Midland, TX 79705

RSVP at https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0BdilpFiaB3yERM 🧡 See you there!

Meet Sunghyun Ko, one of four PGE students selected as a 2026 Chevron Graduate Fellow.

His research investigates enhanced oil recovery in shale reservoirs using aqueous ketone solutions. “I’m particularly interested in complex fluids and their flow characteristics in porous media,” he said.

And he’s on a roll! Earlier this year, Sunghyun was awarded at the 2026 SPE Regional Paper Contest for the Gulf Coast/Southwestern region, placing 3rd in the PhD division for his work on ketones for shale well treatment.

Sunghyun credits much of his success to the guidance and support of his advisor, Dr. Ryosuke Okuno, and the Okuno Research Group.

"What distinguishes him is his ability to connect fundamental science with field-relevant engineering," said Okuno. "He brings a positive attitude to challenging research while maintaining a constructive skepticism—continuously asking thoughtful questions to avoid misjudgment and strengthen the quality of his work."

Interested in being a part of impactful research like this? Learn more about our graduate program at https://pge.utexas.edu/academics/graduate/.

The University of Texas at Austin will remain closed through Monday, Jan. 26. All classes and events are cancelled. All UT Austin facilities in Central Texas will be closed.

We will continue to closely monitor and evaluate the conditions and provide updates via Longhorn Alert if that closure is extended.

All updates will be posted in real-time to the Longhorn Alert website. Make sure you bookmark the site and check it regularly: https://longhornalert.utexas.edu/

With the high likelihood of winter weather this weekend, we've decided to postpone the Energy AI Hackathon. Stay warm, everyone, and be on the lookout for a rescheduled event date.