Penn State’s Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) was recently named a 2016 Outstanding Student Chapter by the international SPE organization. The chapter will be recognized during a luncheon at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, held Sept. 26-28.
SPE is the largest individual-member organization serving managers, engineers, scientists and other professionals worldwide in the production segment of the oil and gas industry.
The Outstanding Student Chapter award recognizes those that excel in five critical areas — industry engagement, operations and planning, community involvement, professional development and innovation.
“This is a huge award not only for SPE Penn State but also Penn State’s petroleum and natural gas engineering program as a whole,” said Derrick Shields, who was president of the student chapter during the 2015-16 academic year.
Shields graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering and is currently pursuing an M.S. in chemical engineering at Penn State.
“This speaks volumes to the hard work all the officers put in, as well as to the dedication of all our members,” he said.