Drs. Tracy Quan, Camelia Knapp, Jim Puckette, and new alumni celebrate during the 2022 Undergraduate Commencement.
2 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY In This Issue Message from the Head Scholarships and Awards 2022 OSU and National Honors and Awards New Faculty and Staff News from the Faculty BPSoG Staff Spotlight on Undergraduates Spotlight on Graduate Students Graduate Student Research Spotlight Student Organizations Tech Fest Congratulations Graduates! New Alumni Highlights Outreach Activities BPSoG in the Field Field Camp 2022 New Course: Introductory Geological Processes Alumni Synergy 2023 Alumni Banquet 75th Anniversary OSU Field Camp 3 4 8 10 12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 28 29 30 31 32 Page
4 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY UNDERGRADUATES Don and Julia Weinkauf Presidential Distinguished Scholarship Aletha Bailey Herbert and Shirley Davis Presidential Distinguished Scholarship Clayton Hedges John and Mildred Naff Presidential Distinguished Scholarship Bryston Smith V. Brown Monnett Presidential Distinguished Scholarship Ian Kallenberg Dale Shipley Memorial Scholarship Clayton Hedges David Murphy Scholarship Megan Garrett Emma Shook Kaleb Smith Jamie Templeton Don Miller Scholarship in Geology Isaac Dale Rylee Hunter James Jones Tyson King Kayleen Lemen Jim Higgins Memorial Scholarship Aletha Bailey John W. Day Memorial Scholarship Isaac Dale Clayton Hedges Kable Kleck OK-NARO Endowed Scholarship Izabelle Buentello Petrie Endowed Scholarship Jacob Archer Jessica Whitesell Ross Geology Scholarship Izabelle Buentello Isabelle Ley Skinner Geology Scholarship Nicholas Basore Grace Chalfant Lillian Davis Joshua Deen Ian Kallenberg Isabelle Ley Hudson Moseby Jimson Shaw Bryston Smith GRADUATES Martin Family Foundation Lauren Haygood Melina Lazar Alison Veresh Lauren Weilert Skinner Geology Fellowships Valentine C. Ezennubia Peter Loree Lawrence Medlin Patrick Meese Elizabeth Lipscomb Gary F. Stewart Scholarship Brylee Brasher Oyewande Ojo Decker Dawson Graduate Fellowship in Geophysics Endowed Fund Bryler Brasher Valentine C. Ezennubia Oyewande Ojo Khalid Omar Scholarships and Awards 2022
5 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Rohit Raj Md Zonael Sazal RE & KR McPhail Geology fellowship Jordon Massey Patrica & Lawrence Walker Endowed Geology Scholarship Calli Provenza Erin Roark Alison Veresh Dr. Wayne Pettyjohn Hydrogeology Scholarship/Fellowship Jordon Massey Michael & Susan Gaskins Geology Graduate Fellowship Jordon Massey Cleaves Graduate Fellowship Lauren Haygood Devon Geoscience Scholarship Fund Lauren Brown Erik Mason Graduate Fellowship in Geology Fund Lauren Brown BP Corporation of North American Endowed Scholarship in Geology Alison Veresh Patrick & Sharrie Ely Endowed Fellowship Elizabeth Lipscomb President Petroleum Scholarship Fund Peter Loree BP America Endowed Scholarship for Geology and Petroleum Engineering Oyewande Ojo John W. Shelton Graduate Research Fellowship in Petroleum Peter Loree Lawrence Medlin GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS Brylee Brasher Lauren Brown Madison Culver Valentine C. Ezennubia Victor Fakeye Elizabeth Lipscomb Peter Loree Patrick Meese Erin Merry Calli Provenza Alison Veresh Lauren Weilert GRADUATE TEACHING ASSOCIATES Salaman Abbasi William Andrews Ali Al Janabi Md. Saiful Alam Steve Beresh Esteffany Davalos Trenity Ford Lauren Haygood Olubukola Ishola Melina Lazar Jordon Massey Farjana Mily Oyewande Ojo Khalid Omar Oghalomeno Ononeme Rohit Raj Silas Samuel Md Zonaed Sazal Sreejesh Venmarathil - Sreedhar GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Brylee Brasher Madison Culver
6 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Victor Fakeye Autumn Graf Joshua Keltz Peter Loree Lawrence Medlin Erin Merry Dylan Morton Michael Mullen Erin Roark Brandon Weaver GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSOCIATES Joshua Ademilola Ali Al Janabi Md. Saiful Alam Dawod Almayahi William Andrews Ruoshi Cao Ian Cox Lauren Haygood Olubukola Ishola Melina Lazar Farjana Mily Rohit Raj Silas Samuel Oluseun Sanuade Md Zonaed Sazal Justin Spears Sreejesh Venmarathil - Sreedhar Chase Watkins Conn Wethington OKLAHOMA GEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION Herbert G. & Shirley A. Davis OSU Geology Fellowship Joshua Ademilola Silas Samuel Victor Fakeye Frederick H. and Lois M. Kate Endowment Fellowship Lauren Haygood Frederick M. Black Field Camp Grant Autumn Troxel Oklahoma Geological Foundation Field Camp Grant Nick Basore Isaac Dale Elaine Duff James Neal Jones Kable Kleck Kayleen Lemen Kaleb Smith Kylie Staggs Autumn Troxel AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Oklahoma Promise Bryston Smith Cowboy Covenant Bryston Smith Academic Excellence Scholar Bryston Smith Academic Excellence Supplement Bryston Smith Maxine & Harry Wiese Scholar Bryston Smith National Association of Black Geoscientist (NABG) Scholarship Oghalomeno Evih Ononeme 2022 Geoscience Foundation of Tulsa: Outstanding Geoscience Student Award Victor Oluwaseun Fakeye Kenneth L. Zonge Scholarship Oluseun Sanuade
7 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY SEG Foundation/Chevron Scholarship Oluseun Sanuade Schlumberger Founder’s scholarship Izabelle Buentello Oklahoma State Out of state achievement scholarship Izabelle Buentello Hunter Stone Endowed Scholarship Lori Huck Kenneth and Hoye Harwell Scholarship Lori Huck Oklahoma Mineral and Gem Society Gems and Stones and Petrified Bones Fall 2021 Scholarship Lori Huck OERB Petroleum Scholarship Megan Garrett Neil Purdie Scholarship Clayton Hedges Emma Shook BPSoG AWARDS Teaching Innovation Award Dr. Priyank Jaiswal Community Engagement Award Dr. Mohamed Abdelsalam BPSoG Impact Award Dr. Camelia Knapp Good Citizen Award Dr. Ahmed Ismail Staff Dedication Award Ms. Babita Xavier Undergraduate Research Award Mr. Kable Kleck Undergraduate Service Award Ms. Kayleen Lemen Graduate Service Award Ms. Lauren Haygood GTA Teaching Award Mr. Trenity Ford Best Thesis Award Ms. Maria Reistroffer Mr. Kable Kleck and Dr. Puckette at the Banquet. Dr. Knapp and students with Pistol Pete at the Rock Swap.
8 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY OSU and National Honors and Awards Dr. Mohamed Abdelsalam Regents Professor Boone Pickens Geophysics Chair Dr. Michael Grammer Regents Professor Chesapeake Energy Chair of Petroleum Geology New Regents Professors Dr. Natascha Riedinger Associate Professor Phoenix award for graduate Faculty Women’s Faculty Council Outstanding Achievement Award OSU Convocation Awards Sheri Orr Academic Advisor Advising Excellence Award
9 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Charles V. Theis Award by the American Institute of Hydrology Dr. Todd Halihan Professor Clyde Wheeler Sun Chair of Hydrogeology AAPG Foundation’s Inspirational Geoscience Educator Award Dr. Ahmed Ismail Assistant Professor
10 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY New Faculty and Staff Jennifer Koch Administrative Support Assistant I Hello, my name is Jennifer Koch, I am new to OSU. I am an Administrative Support Assistant I for the BPSoG. My job here is to work on the Social Media aspect of Geology. We currently are in the works of setting up a new web page. I also handle posting social media on the Geology’s Facebook, LinkedIn, and older web page. I handle making brochures and pamphlets or any other material to get the information about Geology and what we have to offer out to those who have an interest in Geoscience. I also handle the daily clerical duties of the main Geology office along with assisting setting up events we host here at BPSoG. On a more personal level, I have three teenage sons, Landon, Matthew, and Nicholas. They are my world and I enjoy spending my free time with them. I like to read when I have any spare moment. We love to get out and enjoy nature, fishing, swimming, and camping. It all is fun to me when I am with them. My favorite time is family night where we play games and hang out with them and their friends. I look forward to getting to know you all and appreciate the opportunity I have been given to be apart of the Geology Department. Dr. Tingying Xu Assistant Professor Environmental Geochemistry – Metal (Bio)Geochemistry Greetings everyone! Here is brief summary of my work and life for the 2nd year in OSU. My research interests are still in mineral-water-microbe-metal interactions with an add-on interest on soil fungi. Last year, I have started some collaborative work with scientists in Horticulture department to explore how mycorrhizal fungi can improve nitrogen and other nutrient uptake efficiency of Pecans in Oklahoma. This work has been funded by ODAFF Special Crop program. Hope my journey on soil fungi-plant interaction can go further. Beyond the proposed research, I got the chance to eat/share Oklahoma pecans in Fall with my family, students, and colleagues! I have been working on bioremediation of multiple metals using native Oklahoma fungi since I arrived here. I conducted several field experiments at the “dirty” Tar Creek area and actually found some noval fungi with the ability to remove manganese and other metal contaminants. Ongoing work is to dig into the machenisms on the biomineralization and bioremediation processes. Besides these, I have multiple other projects exploring hydrocarbon degradation by noval Oklahoma microbes, iron oxide morphogical controls on wettability, REE isotopic fractionation during abiotic
11 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Dr. Brandon Spencer Teaching Assistant Professor and Field Camp Co-Director Geoscience Education, Mineralogy/Petrology, and Structural Geology Hi everyone! This year (my second) has been super busy and we’ve seen some transformational changes in the BPSoG. We have a new introductory course for our majors, co-taught by myself and Dr. Jim Knapp in the fall of 2022. The course is almost entirely field-based (11 field trips!) and was well-received by students and other faculty that contributed as visiting lecturers. Our new fleet of GPS-capable iPads made their debut in that course and will continue to be utilized as we introduce them into our Field Camp exercises. In Spring 2022, I taught an elective course called Magmatism and Metamorphism, which served as an advanced petrology course for some of our undergraduates and a group of eight students from OU that opted to make the drive to Stillwater twice a week. A field trip to central Texas (Llano area) was the highlight of that course. I continue to teach Rocks & Minerals (mineralogy/petrology) for our majors, Physical Geology, and Geology and Human Affairs, and have seen some promising young geoscientists come through the doors over the past year. From a research perspective, I’m working with several undergraduates that are pursuing petrology research in central Texas, Oklahoma, and California, and am working with Dr. Jim Knapp to develop a wide-ranging project in the Wichita Mountains which will aim to further understand the structural and tectonic evolution of the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen “rift” system. I also continue my collaborative research on orogenic collapse in the Scottish Caledonides and Southern Appalachians, which has produced three publications in the last year. I’ve met many of you, but in case we haven’t met, please know that my door is always open and I’d love to chat if you’re around. I’m excited to be here in the BPSoG and couldn’t be more optimistic about the future of our program! Go Pokes! and biotic manganese oxide formation, etc. All the projects have kept me really busy in the last year and coming years! For teaching, I taught Geology and Human Affairs in two semesters. I feel that my teaching skills have been improved! I also taught Evolution of the Earth online using Dr. Ashley Burkett’s materials. This semester, I am teaching Environmental Geochemistry for the first time with an entirely new suite of materials I prepared. Hope the students will learn a lot of geochemistry from my course. Last, I want to express my great thanks to be a member of the BPSoG family and I look forward to working with OSU students and excellent scientists here for the coming years.
12 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Dr. Ashley Burkett As travel resumed, Dr. Burkett spent 21% of her year on the ocean collecting samples for research! The longest was 60 days on the JOIDES Resolution off South Africa where they recovered the Dinosaurs extinction event (K/Pg) and extreme climate event (PETM), and plan to produce exciting data. Dr. Burkett also sailed on an Alvin Verification Cruise where she was in the first group of scientists to work with the recently rebuilt Alvin where she deployed experimental materials and went in Alvin to the bottom of the ocean in the Puerto Rico Trench, nearly 4 miles (5900 m) deep! She also sailed on the RV Revelle for 10 days learning all the seafloor sampling techniques she had not previously known. All this fun was not limited to Dr. Burkett. She also sent 2 undergrads and 2 PhD students to participate in research expeditions of their very own. The Burkett Micropaleontology Lab has now bloomed to 11 students with 4 grad and 7 undergrad researchers. The lab is bustling with activity as we take on IODP samples for foraminiferal ecology, morphology, and geochemistry through major extinction events. We hope the results of this research will be very impactful and published in high quality journals. The fun of the past academic year can be found in these featured stories, blogs, and podcasts. To find out more, click on the links below: -Alvin and the Dinosaurs -Days at Sea Blog by PhD Student, Trenity Ford -Foraminifera for the win! -A Foram Fairy Tale -PI Cruise News from the Faculty
13 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY -Research on Tap Dr. Mike Grammer Dear OSU BPSoG alumni and friends - 2022 started off with a bang when Jim Puckette and I taught a workshop for the Oklahoma Groundwater Association Meeting that Todd Halihan organized on the OSU campus last January. The workshop focused on the evaluation of sandstone and carbonate reservoirs for porosity and permeability trends and the tie to key rock types/facies, along with discussions on the potential controls on aquifer heterogeneity and the distribution of flow units. Identifying key facies, porosity/permeability systems and potential flow unit heterogeneity in the subsurface was the main focus of the core evaluation, combined with discussions on the application to groundwater aquifers, contaminant pathways, CCUS targets and oil and gas reservoirs. We had 20 folks take the course, which was held in the Gary F. Stewart Core Research Facility conference and layout rooms. For much of the rest of the year, we continued to focus on our work with the Caney Shale. Dr. Yulun Wang (OSU Ph.D., 2017) continues to do the heavy lifting for a large percentage of the facies analysis, stratigraphy, fracture distribution, geomechanical trends and nanometer scale pore architecture analysis. Izabelle Buentello, who is just starting her MS here at OSU as one of the first participants in the Accelerated MS Program, is delving further into the pore system characterization and laboratory-measured sonic velocity tied to specific facies and stratigraphic zones within the Caney. Best Wishes to all for 2023 and we look forward to seeing you at the Annual BPSoG banquet. Dr. Mary Hileman The 2022-23 school year marks my thirteenth year as a faculty member of the Boone Pickens School of Geology, where I am a full-time Visiting Associate Professor with responsibility to teach 6 In-person and 2 online courses each year. In the fall, I teach Petroleum Geology for Engineers (GEOL 3413). This is the core course required for the Minor in Petroleum Engineering (CEAT). This fall 12 students enrolled. In the spring, to meet minimum enrollment, all well log analysis courses meet on Tuesday evening. Applied Well Log Analysis for Engineers (GEOL 4323) has 3 enrolled and 7 are enrolled in Advanced Well Log Analysis for graduate students (GEOL 5353). No undergraduates enrolled in Introduction to Well Log Analysis (GEOL 4313). These courses cover evaluation of the standard suite of vertical hole wireline well logs and introduce petrophysical evaluation. Graduate students complete more challenging homework and have 4 additional problems that test their geological thinking. Geology of the National Parks (GEOL 3043) is taught In-person as well as an online every semester. The focus for this popular elective for non-science majors is to develop understanding of basic geological concepts and scientific methodology, using 26 National Parks as examples. Enrollment for the in-person class was 35 (fall) and 48 (spring). The online section enrollment was 86 (fall) and 106 (spring). This year I developed a new Honors Add-on Class: The Power of Water (GEOL 3890). This is a 1-hour discussion about how water shapes the Earth and how it influences human society and ecosystems. I served on 5 Master’s Committees and 2 Ph.D. Committees in Geology, and serve as the outside reader for a Ph.D. dissertation in the English Department. Dr. Ahmed Ismail My research program in 2022 has focused on geophysical investigations of dams. Dam investigation is critical to public safety and homeland security in a country with over 91,000 dams, 2,300 of which are classified as deficient high-hazard-potential dams. Out of my submitted five external research proposals as lead-PI, four proposals were award-
14 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY ed for an amount of funding exceeding $2.1M. I published two articles in peer-reviewed journals and five abstracts and graduated three students (2 Ph.D. and 1 MS). I taught Seismic Interpretation, co-taught Environmental Geophysics with Dr. Camelia Knapp, and received an STE score for Instructor, averaging 4.8 / 5.0. For the first time to be awarded to OSU faculty, I received the 2022 AAPG Inspirational Geoscience Educator Award, which honors university professors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in geoscience education. I served on several departmental committees in 2022 (Safety & Ergonomics, Alumni & Industry Relations, Preliminary Exam, Student Enrichment), co-advised our Society of Exploration Geophysicists Student Chapter, and was a Fulbright Specialist on campus. I served as a member of the Society of Exploration Geophysics Scholarship Committee, an NSF panelist, a chair of a conference session, a reviewer of four peer-reviewed journals, a guest editor of a special issue of the Water Journal, and an invited speaker at several institutions. I participated in the Grandparents University program, the geoscience workshop for science teachers in Oklahoma, and serval other outreach activities. I was an active member of the College of Arts & Science Equity Advocates Committee. Dr. Jack Pashin Last year was extremely busy and featured a variety of teaching and research activities. An important new focus was developing curriculum for geologic CO2 storage, which will be incorporated into the School’s regular curriculum as well as the new Professional Science Master’s program. During the Fall Semester, I taught Basin Evolution, and the discussions in class were very insightful, and I always appreciate an enthusiastic class. Research activities included a broad range of projects involving my students, including characterizing the burial and thermal history of the Ardmore Basin to facilitate shale reservoir development, characterization of a candidate CO2 storage hub in Mississippi, geological characterization and assessment of CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery options in the offshore Central Gulf of Mexico, and characterization of the CO2 storage potential of Oklahoma sedimentary basins. The Gulf of Mexico assessment involves a next-generation machine learning and decision support system, and collaboration among the professionals, facult, and students in SAS Institute, the School of Geology, and Petroleum Engineering resulted in a best paper award. Another highlight of last year was helping organize the International Sedimentological Congress, which was held virtually in Beijing. My students have kept busy with a variety of basin analysis, 3D seismic analysis, and reservoir characterization activities, and two students (Jamar Bynum and Conn Wethington) graduated with Ph.D. degrees this Fall. This has indeed been an exciting year, and I am looking forward to discovering new frontiers this new year. Dr. Jim Puckette The past year was a step toward normalcy following COVID. Most of my research effort was dedicated to characterization of the Caney Shale in southern Oklahoma. In addition to the Caney Shale project, Mr. Wakil Balumi completed a comprehensive geochemical study of the Niobrara Formation in the Colorado portion of the D-J basin, Mr. Chase Watkins continued his work to determine the causes of abnormally thick Hunton Group carbonates and Sylvan Shale in central Oklahoma, and Ms. Autumn Graf established differences in rock properties between distal and more proximal “Granite Wash” that impact reservoir properties and ultimately oil and gas production. Two new students joined us fall 2022. Ms. Aletha Bailey is working on the relationship between bioclast orientation and distri-
15 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY bution and evolution of porosity. Aletha is co-advised by Dr. Ashley Burkett. Ms. Melissa Perkins joined our group and will continue work on regional and local sediment dispersal during the Pennsylvanian. Melissa is comparing provenance of detrital zircons in cores of the Upper Morrow and Lower Morrow sandstones in the Anadarko basin. There was a return to in-school outreach activities in 2022 and we participated in Career Day at Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Oklahoma, the Ever More career and college introduction program in Moore, Oklahoma and Family Stem Night in Rush Springs Oklahoma. We also participated 4-H Roundup and introduced geology to a broad audience at each event. A highlight of summer 2022 was a return to in-person summer activities including field camp at the Les Huston Geology Field Camp near Canon City Colorado and the Halliburton Teacher Workshop for in-service teachers. We also held the Geoscience Field Experience academic camp during summer 2022. This event was for high school students and included a field trip led by Dr. Gary Stewart. We look forward to the second academic camp during summer 2023. Dr. Tracy Quan 2022 was a pretty exciting year professionally, with a lot of interesting projects and activities. On the geochemistry front, Master’s student Peter Loree finished his thesis on using NMR to identify organic compound classes in produced water samples, a project funded by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB). Peter developed a technique for measuring produced water samples from both Alabama and Oklahoma that resulted in high-quality spectra that could be quantitatively interpreted. My plan is to continue analyzing additional samples, investigating techniques for more detailed characterization, and applying this technique to evaluate remediation methods. M.S. student Mengran Xin, has joined the lab to work on characterizing paleoenvironmental conditions during OAE2 using sediment sample from the Southern Ocean. I am also involved in several projects to introduce geoscience to students, and improve the quality of geoscience education. My collaborators and I recently established the NSF-funded Water Research, Assessment, and Networking Ecosystem (WRANE) program to introduce pre-university students and teachers to water-related geoscience topics via virtual lectures, career networking, and community science research projects. Our first group of WRANE teachers and students started in the Fall and are working on their research projects. We are planning a summer symposium to bring these groups together for additional geoscience activities and career exposure. I also received funding from Battelle for a new ion chromatography instrument that can be used for outreach and educational purposes, and we put it to good use in the first Geoscience Field Experience camp this past summer. Dr. Natascha Riedinger Dear BPSoG friends and Alumni, after some years where research was on the hold due to the pandemic and an instrument outage in the lab, we were able to get back into full research-swing in 2022. In the spring, 4 undergraduate students worked in my lab (two of those working on their OSU Neil Purdie scholarship awarded research projects) and in fall the group grew to 8 undergraduate students. It was fantastic to see all those students interested in research and gaining laboratory experience. Also, in 2022, my two MSc students successfully defended their thesis in December with topics related to samples from the Scotia Sea. Lauren Haygood, a PhD student in my group
16 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY who started in fall 2021, also works on those samples from the Southern Ocean. In addition, Lauren will utilize samples from the North Atlantic to reconstruct changes in deep water ventilation during the Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles. She will use sample collected during the International Ocean Discover Program (IODP) Expedition 397 in which she is involved as a shore based scientist. Lauren was also strongly involved in organizing and monitoring the undergraduate student research projects. Furthermore, in 2022, many BPSoG colleagues and I were able to ramp up our in-person outreach efforts again. Numerous students from my group were involved in those outreach and science communication events, including among others, an NSF-funded scientific ocean drilling exhibition, Grandparents University, Summer on the Plaza, and water quality event at the public library. Dr. Javier Vilcáez The Geofluids and Hydrogeology research group continues doing cutting edge research on the Water-Energy-CO2 nexus. Currently, the Geofluids and Hydrogeology research group comprises of 5 PhD and 1 MS students. The findings of our research are being published in water, energy, and environment journals. In 2022 we published 2 papers in the Journal of Water Process Engineering (impact factor of 7.3), 1 paper in the Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering (impact factor of 5.2) and 1 paper in Fuel (impact factor of 8.0). All publications are from our research with students as first authors. In 2022, we won a new research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF)-Environmental Engineering program in the amount of $390,444 to do research on “Removal of metals from petroleum produced water by dolomite”. This research grant is in addition to the research grant from the NSF- Hydrologic Sciences program we won in the amount of $282,444 to do research on “Pore-scale machine-learning modeling of flow and transport properties of carbonate rocks”. I’m the principal investigator of these research grants (I value research independence). I am proud that these grants and our publications are 100% the product of research conducted at BPSoG. I enjoy teaching undergraduate and graduate courses very much. In addition to Groundwater Modeling, I have started teaching Applied Geostatistics and Environmental Data Analytics. Both are new courses that have not been taught before at OSU. I’m expecting to start teaching another new course next year, named Advanced Petrophysics. Thanks! BPSoG Staff From left to right: Sandy Earls, Babita Xavier, Jennifer Koch, Sheri Orr, and Tim Sickbert.
17 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Spotlight on Undergraduates Clayton Hedges Purdie Research Scholar Clayton Hedges is a junior undergraduate student majoring in environmental geology and a minor in environmental sciences. He has received numerous scholarships and fellowships including the OERB Petroleum Scholarship in 2022. Clayton is a second-time Purdie undergraduate research scholar and an OSU Udall selective, investigating anthropogenic heavy metal contamination of deep-sea sediments in the western South Atlantic. His studies involve the microscopic and geochemical analyses of deep-marine sediments, and the application of a geographical information system for spatial distribution evaluation. Besides his strong research involvement, Clayton is active in the Oklahoma State University Geological Society (OSUGS) as vice president, and he is involved in the Society of Exploration Geologist (SEG) and American Association of Petroleum Geologist (AAPG) student organizations. In addition, Clayton has also been involved in various outreach events such as the Into the Streets Community Outreach. After graduation, Clayton plans to attend graduate school to receive a higher degree before joining the environmental or petroleum workforce. Clayton Hedges presenting research results at the OSU Wentz research symposium in April 2022 (photo source: Lauren Haygood). Izabelle Buentello Izabelle Buentello is a senior in the BPSoG who will be graduating in May of this year. She is one of the inaugural cadre of students who have been accepted into our new Accelerated Master’s Degree Program. Izabelle started doing research for her M.S. project this past Fall working on the Caney Shale project funded by DOE and industry partners. She is looking at the porosity and permeability relationships of different nano-meter scale pore systems in the Caney and tying them back to distinct facies identified in core and wireline logs. Coupled with laboratory-measured sonic velocity tied to the pore system architecture, this should lead to enhanced prediction of reservoir units within the Caney Shale, and a better understanding of what the reservoir geometry is likely to be based upon the various interpreted depositional environments. Izabelle is continuing to work as a Research Assistant and is also assisting with the GEOL 3034 (Sed/Strat) labs this semester.
18 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Spotlight on Graduate Students Lauren Haygood PhD Student Lauren Haygood is a second year PhD student advised by Dr. Natascha Riedinger. Lauren’s research involves investigating deep-water ventilation changes in the Atlantic Ocean through geochemical analyses of sediment cores recovered from both the Scotia Sea and Iberian Margin. Lauren is a shore-based scientist for the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 397, where she is collaborating with an international group of scientists to investigate millennial-scale climate variability of the Iberian Margin. In addition to her research, Lauren is currently the president of the Geology Graduate Student Association (GGSA), Vice President of the Graduate and Professional Student Government Association (GPSGA), and leads a water quality community science initiative within Oklahoma. Lauren was selected as a Local Science Partner of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) January 2022, and was most recently listed as the science policy expert at the AGU Fall Meeting 2022. Lauren is also a member of the AGU Early Career Executive Committee of Paleoceanography & Paleoclimatology. Additionally, Lauren volunteers with GISCorps and AGU Thriving Earth Exchange, where she contributes to geospatial analysis projects. Lauren is in her second year as a STEM PenPal with Letters to a Prescientist, in her first year of being a STEM mentor for undergraduates through the Geosciences Education and Mentorship Support (GEMS) program, and mentors undergraduates working on various geochemistry and geospatial analysis projects at OSU. Lauren is currently in her third year of participating in Skype A Scientist, where she zooms with classrooms all over the world. Josh Keltz MS Student Josh Keltz is a second year MS student working in the Structural Geology and Tectonics Group under the supervision of Dr. Laó-Dávila. Josh obtained his BS degree in Geology from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is a Graduate Research Assistant using Geodetic and remote sensing applications to monitor the foundation of dams in Oklahoma. He conducted a summer internship at a copper mine in Arizona with Freeport-McMoRan. Josh is scheduled to graduate this Spring semester.
19 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Graduate Student Research Spotlight Valentine Ezennubia, Javier Vilcáez. Removal of oil hydrocarbons from petroleum produced water by indigenous oil degrading microbial communities. Journal of Water Process Engineering, Vol 51, 2023, Article 103400. doi.org/10.1016/j. jwpe.2022.103400 Summary of research: Petroleum-produced water (PW) is one of the most significant waste streams in the oil and gas industry and it is characterized by high concentrations of dissolved salts and oil hydrocarbons. Plugging membrane filters with oil hydrocarbons (mostly n-alkanes) constitutes one of the main barriers to treating PW for its integration into industrial and agricultural uses. Based on previous research conducted at the Geofluids and Hydrogeology Lab showing that the injection of CO2 and PW supplied with protein-rich matter could be used to recover oil from depleted oil reservoirs as methane gas, this research’s hypothesis was that stimulating the activity of methanogenic oil degrading microbial communities by combining the supply of CO¬2 as sodium bicarbonate and protein-rich matter as soy protein in anaerobic environments can result in the complete removal of oil hydrocarbons from PW. This hypothesis was tested using PW collected from oil wells in Oklahoma. Experiments aimed to determine the kinetics and degree of oil hydrocarbon degradation, assess the effect of pH and oxidation reduction potential (ORP), and elucidate the mechanism of oil degradation by the proposed stimulation method. The novelty of the proposed PW treatment method is on the synergetic effect of combining the supply of CO2 and protein-rich matter to stimulate indigenous methanogenic oil degrading microbial communities that are adapted to high salinity conditions. The potentiality of the proposed method lays on its practicality and low cost. PW storage tanks can be operated as anaerobic enclosed reactors, without additional investment, soy protein constitutes the cheapest type of protein-rich matter in the world, and the produced methane could be recovered from the anaerobic enclosed tanks for subsequent purification and commercialization. Moreover, the proposed stimulation method could be used to remediate anaerobic aquifers contaminated with oil hydrocarbons sourced from abandoned and natural leaks.
20 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Student Organizations The BPSoG student organizations (GGSA, OSUGS, SEG, AAPG, AWG, and AIPG) collaborated to organize the following events: 1. Welcome Event for new and returning BPSoG students. This event allowed student leaders to introduce themselves, provide information about each student organization, and get some advice from faculty. It was also an opportunity for BPSoG to network with each other and the faculty present. 2. Earth Science Week Event: The theme for 2022 was “Earth Science for a Sustainable World.” We hosted geosciences activities, such as rock permeability using Grammar tubes, and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to detect changes in the subsurface, to celebrate and share the impact of geosciences on the planet. Students from other departments participated in these events and had their questions regarding these activities answered. 3. Homecoming Tailgate Event: BPSoG students, alumni, and faculty attended this event as a social and networking event before the OSU Homecoming Football game. 4. Our Daily Bread (ODB) Community Outreach Event: This was a community development outreach event at the ODB Food and resource center. Student leaders from each student organization served as shopping assistants by assisting ODB guests in obtaining groceries and household supplies. Photo Credits: Lauren Haygood and Silas Adeoluwa Samuel
21 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Tech Fest 2022 The 6th annual Oklahoma State University (OSU) Geoscience and Geoengineering TechFest 2022, hosted by the OSU student chapter of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) on February 19, 2022 at 1:00-5:00 PM was one for the books, and stands as one of the most sponsored events to date. This event was held in the sprawling Student Union Ballroom on the OSU main campus (Stillwater, OK). The organizing team worked hard to obtain approximately $10,000 in sponsorship from industry organizations and energy companies including: Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas (formerly OERB), Oklahoma Geological Foundation, Denbury, Apache, and EOG Resources. This event replicated a small-scale conference with exhibit booths from Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas, Mid-Continent Geological Library, Oklahoma Geological Foundation, Oklahoma State University Geological Society, and the Geology Graduate Student Association located around the perimeter of the ballroom. The main event of TechFest 2022 was the student poster session in which a total of $1,600 in prize money was awarded to undergraduate and graduate students who were judged by industry professionals and professors. The students who placed in the top three of their respective categories (undergraduates and graduates) won $150 (third place), $250 (second place), and $400 (first place). A total of 18 posters were presented by students from Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma, Rose State College, and Midwestern State University. These posters covered a wide range of pertinent topics including CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR), carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), petroleum geology, structural geology, environmental geology, geochemistry, and seismic interpretation/analysis. Key activities following the poster session included a formal dinner and a keynote speech titled “Career Pivots – Evaluate, Innovate, and Act” given by Rick Fritz, AAPG Advisory Council Chair, immediate past-president of the AAPG, and Boone Pickens School of Geology alumnus. -Dylan Morton OSU AAPG Student Chapter President 2022 2022 M.S. in Geology Graduate
22 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Congratulations Graduates! Jacob Archer Nicholas Basore Bryce Bosshard Isaac Dale James Jones Kable Kleck Kayleen Lemen Melissa Perkins Emma R. Shook Kaleb A. Smith Kylie Staggs Jamie N. Templeton Autumn N. Troxel B.S. in Geology Lauren Brown Laura Erichsen Valentine Ezennubia Victor Fakeye Peter Loree Dylan Morton Michael Mullen Calli Provenza Erin Roark Alison Veresh Brandon Weaver Lauren Weilert M.S. in Geology Salman Abbasi Dawod Almayahi Wakil Balumi Jamar Bynum Ruoshi Cao Estefanny Davalos Conn Wethington Sazal Zonaed Ph.D. in Geology
23 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY New Alumni Highlights Dr. Estefanny Dávalos Elizondo Estefanny grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. After graduating with a Bachelor of Geological Engineering from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, she worked for 5 years in the geothermal industry for the National Institute of Electricity and Clean Energies in Mexico. She then began graduate studies under the supervision of Dr. Laó-Dávila. Estefanny published 3 papers in Geothermics, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, and in the Journal of African Earth Sciences as part of a dissertation titled: “Assessing Fracture Networks and Geochemistry of Geothermal Systems in Magma-Poor Continental Rifts: An Example from the Malawi Rifted Zone”. She won awards in research such as the 1st Place Poster Award for her presentation at the Geothermal Rising Conference 2021, the 2nd Place Baker Hughes/OSU Decarbonization Prize 2021, and the Geology Graduate Student Association OSU Autumn Research Symposium Graduate Best Poster Award 2018. Estefanny graduated in May of 2022 and is currently working as a Reseacher III for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Dr. Conn Wethington Conn Wethington received his Ph.D. from the BPSoG in December 2022 where he was a research associate within the Basin Analysis and Unconventional Reservoir research group under Dr. Jack Pashin. His academic career at OSU began as a transfer from the University of New Mexico. As an undergraduate, he completed two research projects on 1) San Juan Basin Cretaceous Mancos shale sedimentology and facies succession, a project worked under Dr. Jim Puckette and 2) Anadarko and Arkoma Basin Devonian Woodford shale outcrop description and lithologic facies distribution. Conn started his graduate program as a Master of Science student with a thesis on stacked reservoir characterization and confinement of a proposed hub scale anthropogenic carbon capture and sequestration facility in east central Mississippi. For his doctoral degree, he continued his research and subsequent publications on reservoir architecture and characterization for sequestration complexes in the gulf coast as well as research on the Midcontinent Caney shale as a viable unconventional resource that can be paired with CCUS. Conn will continue his work on applications of CCS and CCUS on federal lands as a Petroleum Geologist for the Department of the Interior. His role will include resource evaluation and efficacy of development promoting stewardship of our shared resources. Conn Wethington who attained three degrees from the Boone Pickens School of Geology is the first to do so and is slated to become a Super Cowboy!
24 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Outreach Activities Following two years of suspended school visits as the result of COVID, outreach activities to schools and other student groups returned in 2022. In the spring we participated in two events. We traveled to Midwest City to participate in Career Day at Carl Albert High School Career Day followed by the Ever Moore career and college introduction day in Moore Oklahoma. The Moore event included students from both Moore and West Moore high schools. In the summer, we participated in State 4-H Roundup and visited with students from across the state. A highlight of this event was Dr. Quan’s getting Pistol Pete to test the permeability of sandstone Grammer tubes. We also participated in Grandparent’s University, a program for elementary and mid-school students. In the fall, we visited Rush Springs Oklahoma to participate in Family Stem Night. Besides working with the students, we enjoyed dining excellence as guests at the chili cookoff that was part of the event. We appreciate the help of Lauren Haygood, Silas Samuel and Lori Huck, who helped make these events successful. Dr. Quan shows students the minerals that make granite at the Rush Springs STEM Family Night. Dr. Burkett talks to students about a trilobite fossil at the OK EPSCoR Women in Science Conference. PhD student Lauren Haygood shows off mastodon teeth and other fossils at the Oklahoma State 4-H Roundup. PhD student Joshua Ademiola instructs students on a geophysics demonstration using an iPad magnetometry app at the OK EPSCoR Women in Science Conference.
25 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Geoscience Summer Camp The summer of 2022 saw the inaugural academic camp for high school students offered by the Boone Pickens School of Geology. This resident camp was called Geoscience Field Experience and offered field trips and laboratory learning experiences for 16 high school students. Dr. Gary Stewart led the field trip and Drs. Halihan, Quan and Puckette provided in-lab instruction and activities. We were assisted by Lauren Haygood and Silas Samuel, who helped with logistics and served as dorm chaperones. This highly successful program returns for a second summer in 2023. IODP Exhibit Hosted by a team from the Boone Pickens School of Geology (BPSoG) (led by Dr. Riedinger) and in partnership with the Stillwater Public Library, OSU 4H, and the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), the NSF-funded scientific ocean drilling exhibition “In Search of Earth’s Secrets” and the 40-foot-long inflatable replica of the JOIDES Resolution research vessel docked in Stillwater, OK, from April to June 2022. In Search of Earth’s Secrets is an interactive, hands-on exhibit about marine scientific research to explore mysteries of the ocean and unravel marine secrets about the ocean floor via ocean drilling research vessels such as the JOIDES Resolution. Furthermore, the BPSoG and Stillwater Public Library team hosted Dr. Laurel Childress, who is an IODP Expedition Project Manager/Staff Scientist, children’s book author Kevin Schultz, who has authored books about various aspects of marine science, and Dr. Ashley Burkett, while she was on board the actual JOIDES Resolution, for events open to the Stillwater community. The ocean drilling exhibit traveled between the Stillwater Public Library and OSU campus to showcase the scientific research using several interactive kiosks/learning stations, hands-on activities, and large floor-map to explore the geology of the oceans. Both BPSoG faculty and students volunteered their time to staff each kiosk and help with hands-on activities with communities. Boy and Girl Scouts were able to visit OSU and the Stillwater Public Library and explore the exhibition to earn their “Earth’s Secrets” badge. Under the guidance of the BPSoG team the exhibition also traveled to several rural places in Oklahoma such as the Yale Public Library and Yale public school. A small portion of the exhibit also traveled to Rose State, for their ROCK the Earth summer geoscience camp.
26 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY BPSoG in the Field The Structural Geology class, led by Dr. Laó-Dávila, visited the Seneca Fault in Disney, Oklahoma. Olivia Galvez and Dr. Riedinger sampling a sediment core retrieved at Sanborn Lake, OK. Dr. Ashley Burkett emerging from the deep-sea submersible Alvin after she completed her 5,900 m dive to the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench.
27 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY Environmental Geophysics in the Boone Pickens School of Geology James H. Knapp, Camelia C. Knapp, and Ahmed Ismail As a component of new B.S. degree programs in both Geophysics (2021) and Environmental Geoscience (2022) in the Boone Pickens School of Geology, we carried a geophysical field campaign in October 2022. Conceived by Dr. J. Knapp, the project was executed by Drs. C. Knapp and A. Ismail with 24 students (undergraduate and graduate) enrolled in GEOL 4443/5443 (Environmental Geophysics) and volunteer members from GEOL 2030 (Geologic Field Experience). Students gained experience in the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of a suite of geophysical techniques including ground penetrating radar (GPR), seismic refraction, Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), and electrical resistivity. The target of the investigation was the Coyle Escarpment (~30 km southwest of the OSU campus) where the northern margin of the Cimarron River is marked by a linear (~4 km) topographic escarpment (~15-20 m) formed within Quaternary fluvial deposits. This effort introduced the students to real world scientific inquiry in the curriculum, as well as the challenge to integrate geological and geophysical techniques in problem solving. Our goal is to implement these geophysical techniques into a summer geophysical field course at our OSU field station in Cañon City, Colorado. For additional information on the Coyle Escarpment project, visit the Sensors and Software website at: https://www.sensoft.ca/blog/environmental-geophysics-at-oklahoma-state-university/ Environmental Geophysics 2022 Field Campaign. Front (L to R): Amanda Harding, Clayton Hedges, Prof. Ahmed Ismail, Prof. Camelia Knapp, Izabelle Buentello, Megan Garrett, Lisa Lipscomb, Madison Culver, Kayleen Lemen, Shreejesh Sreedhar; Back (L to R): Steven Beresh, Connor Allen, Isaac Davis, Hussein Al Dakheeli, William Andrews, Prof. James Knapp, Brancen Redman, Kyle Spears, Will Morrison, Ben Emmert, Luke Gallery, Saiful Alam, Kaleb Smith, Silas Samuel, Benjamin Oister, Steven Cotton, Oluseun Sanuade.
28 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY The summer of 2022 saw the return of face-to-face instruction at the Les Huston Geology Field Camp near Cañon City, CO. We hosted students from OSU and eleven other universities for our 5-week program, and it felt great to be back in the mountains after two years cooped up inside! After a briefly-delayed start due to 19” of snow (!) just before the first day of camp, students quickly got out in the field and learned about the stratigraphy and structure of the Front Range by visiting the usual haunts (Grape Creek, the Mixing Bowl, and Twin Mountain), and had fun at camp and in the area during field trips to the K-Pg boundary at Trinidad, Pikes Peak, the Molly Kathleen gold mine, the Florissant fossil beds, and Spanish Peaks. We even managed to get the basketball goal up and running again, which led to some very spirited competition around camp! We are also extremely excited about our upcoming 75th anniversary celebration, which will be held during the weekend of June 7-9, 2024—this will double as an opportunity to celebrate the career of our long-time Field Camp Director, Dr. Jim Puckette, who will be retiring next spring (2024). We hope to see you all there! Field Camp 2022 Dr. Puckette explaining the benefits of long straws and properly recorded strikes and dips to OSU Senior Kaleb Smith. A group of students at the top of the “Happy Fun March” (formerly known as the “Death March”) at Grape Creek. 2022 GTA Jordon Massey and a group of field camp students keeping cool in the shade at North Twin Mountain.
29 BOONE PICKENS SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY New Course: Introductory Geological Processes One of the most significant developments over the past year has been the development of a new introductory course for our declared freshmen majors, Introductory Geological Processes. This course is almost entirely run from the field; out of 16 weeks, 11 of them are in the field! The course includes three overnight field trips to (1) the Wichitas, (2) the Arbuckles and Ouachitas, and (3) the Slick Hills or (this coming fall) Black Mesa. Other trips include Oilton, the Oklahoma Geological Survey, Keystone Lake, the Cimarron River, oil well sites around Stillwater, hydrogeological sites, and Lake Carl Blackwell. The course includes introductory instruction in all key areas of physical geology, such as rocks and minerals, sedimentary processes, metamorphism, structural geology, paleontology, hydrogeology, geophysics, energy geoscience, and maps! Students use our new GPS-capable iPads to take notes, make sketches and field maps, and most importantly, learn to interpret what they see at the outcrop or other field area in the framework of simple, foundational processes. One of the most important and impactful outcomes of this class is the friendship and camaraderie that our incoming cohorts build through these experiences—where traditionally our majors are surrounded by engineers in Physical Geology, we are able to use this course to immediately immerse our incoming students in the material, with multiple faculty, among others who share their interests and goals. Our first cohort particularly enjoyed the soggy, cold trip to the Slick Hills, where we did a longer hike to the Blue Creek Canyon fault zone and taught them how to map geologic contacts and make interpretations about structural geology. We look forward to continuing this course in the future!
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