21 than I expected. We have had several camping trips this year and also a day hike to the Wichita Mountains in SW Oklahoma. It has been a very good yet busy year here in Stillwater & Perkins and I am looking forward to many more ahead. SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS Andrew KatumweheE (PhD Candidate) Dissertation Title: The role of pre-existing Precambrian structures and thermal anomaly in rift initiation and evolution-the Albertine and Rhino grabens in Uganda. Andrew is an International 4th year Doctoral candidate from Uganda in the Boone Pickens School of Geology. In May, Andrew will be the 5th student to graduate from our PhD program. He is a career geoscientist having worked with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development Uganda as a chief Geophysicist. He comes with a background experience in designing airborne surveys and interpretation having graduated from International Institute of Aerospace Surveys and Observation (ITC), the Netherlands with a Master’s degree in applied Geophysics. Andrew’s research interest is in two principal areas: tectonophysics and near surface geophysics. Andrew investigates geologic problems spanning the very shallow subsurface to the deeper crustal-scale geological processes. His dissertation research is investigating the role of pre-existing structures in rift initiation, evolution, segmentation and termination with the Western Branch of the East African Rift System as a focus site. Andrew already has three papers published in high impact internationally recognized peer reviewed journals such as Gondwana Research; Tectonophysics, Journal of African Earth Sciences and a fourth paper is under review in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G3). His fifth paper is under preparation and soon to be submitted to Basin Research Journal. This fifth paper is in collaboration with another Phd student Tadesse Alemu and provides a new and innovative approach to understand basin architecture, thermal anomalies and petroleum systems based on the un-conventional methods for hydrocarbon basin analysis by integrating potential field geophysical methods (gravity and magnetics), sedimentary stratigraphy and basin modelling approach to determine heat flow as a proxy indicator of source rock maturation within continental rift basins. Andrew has made 15 presentations at regional and national conferences during his time at OSU including American Geophysical Union, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Geological Society of America and Association of American Petroleum Geologists. Andrew was very instrumental in introducing geophysics to our field camp and has taught the geophysics component at field camp the last three years. This has largely involved imaging the shallow aquifer and fault systems. Andrew has a passion for mentoring other students and exemplifies the value of having a PhD program. He has mentored 6 graduate students and 8 undergraduates in their research. Andrew helped to pioneer the OSU Tectonics Research Group which currently has 20 students, serving as the first student chair of the group. When not in the lab, he is active in the St. Andrew Apostolic Science Group’ Where Faith Meets Science’. He is a pioneer member of the group and presented a paper ‘Geology as a silent Killer’ which has enlightened the congregation and motivated them to consider geology as an important factor to consider while purchasing property. Finally Andrew founded the SEG student at Makerere University in Uganda and currently serves as their Faculty Advisor. This Chapter has been successful, having hosted 3 honorary SEG speakers, won the East African Regional IBA in 2013, hosted the regional IBA Competition in 2014 and is hosting the African Geosciences Conference in June sponsored by SEG. In his free time he participates in research for the contribution to the greater good where he has been involved with the International group of Geophysicists under the umbrella “Continuation Phase Technologies (CPT)” under the umbrella Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). The group seeks to use both near and deep geophysical techniques to characterize artefacts caused by nuclear tests that will finally help in confirmation whether or not a nuclear explosion has been conducted. Andrew plans to return to his position at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda after graduation.
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