Several faculty members received international awards from the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
“These are all very significant achievements,” said Dr. Jeff Spath, department head. “I’m very proud of each of them, and I’m proud to be part of such a distinguished and recognized faculty.”
All international award recipients were recognized during the 2020 SPE Annual Technical Meeting and Conference held in October.
Dr. Dan Hill was awarded honorary membership, the highest honor given by SPE, for a lifetime of technical and service contributions.
Dr. Hisham Nasr-El-Din was awarded the Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal for his distinguished achievement in the identification and development of new technology and concepts. The award comes with an automatic distinguished membership. Nasr-El-Din’s family accepted his award in light of his death in July.
Dr. Stephen A. Holditch will posthumously receive the inaugural Stephen A. Holditch Visionary Leadership Award, the first SPE major award established in more than 50 years. The award honors exceptional leadership and momentous impact to the industry.
Dr. Yucel Akkutlu will receive the Lester C. Uren Award. This honor recognizes his high achievements in petroleum engineering technology. He will also receive distinguished membership jointly with the award.
Dr. Marcelo Laprea-Bigott will receive distinguished membership due to his distinctive achievements in both the petroleum industry and the academic community.