Irani Center for Energy Solutions - 2020 Donor Report

MEWBOURNE COLLEGE OF EARTH AND ENERGY

RONNIE K. IRANI CENTER FOR ENERGY SOLUTIONS

The UNIVERSITY of OKLAHOMA

DONOR REPORT

A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER.

O P P O RT U N I TY F O R A L L The Irani Center for Energy Solutions' Three Pillars

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Providing professional development webinars and courses worldwide.

Offering realworld, real-time learning experiences for students at the University of Oklahoma.

Creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue about energy with our communities.

Jack Zedlitz

Yoana Walschap

John Ritz

Director of Professional Development

Professional Development Consultant

Executive In Residence

David Ferris

Luis Vergara

Haley Pearson

Advisor

Marketing and Communicaitons

Staff Assistant

Chandra Rai

Lead Faculty Mentor

Deepak Devegowda Lead Faculty Mentor

"2020 was a year that required adjustments, flexibility and creativity. When it became evident that closings would extend into the summer, we realized we had a problem.

Petroleum engineering undergraduate students are required to have an internship to graduate. This is deemed necessary by our accreditors, and is therefore non-negotiable, pandemic or not. However, many companies were forced to rescind internship offers, and a handful of our students were at risk of not graduating on time.

I am incredibly proud of what happened next.

The Irani Center for Energy Solutions worked with energy companies to create realworld, real-time projects for those students whose internships were canceled. In all, 19 petroleum engineering and two geosciences students worked in externship teams where they provided solutions to companies throughout the region and secured their internship credits."

DEAN MIKE STICE

IN THE NEWS KFOR | Oklahoma students back on track to graduate through unique program after internships canceled

YouTube | Opportunity for All at the Irani Center for Energy Solutions

OU DAILY | OU Irani Center for Energy collaborates with companies to provide externships for students amid COVID-19

Click on the images to learn more.

We are thankful to the 11 companies that sponsored projects for our students this year.

COMPANY SPONSORS

BALLARD PETROLEUM C H A RT E R OA K F O U N D AT I O N E N E R G Y M A N A G E M E N T HEFNER ENERGY H E L M E R I C H & PAY N E IRON WHEEL ENERGY K I R K P AT R I C K O I L C O M P A N Y Mc DA N I E L T RU ST M E W B O U R N E O I L C O M PA N Y M I N G E N E RG Y PA RT N E R S T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F O K L A H O M A F O U N D AT I O N

“The center has done an outstanding job putting great leadership in place with invaluable industry knowledge and experience. That leadership has organized the students into a personal setting with industry professionals, advancing their future careers by providing real industry interaction. The students have been top-notch, very sharp. They have been respectful and professional, knowing when to listen, and when to make recommendations."

G R E G S H E P H E R D, M E WB O U R N E O I L C O M PA N Y "A partnership with the center provides meaningful, value-creating projects and equips students with the skills to be valuable future employees. I absolutely recommend partnering with the center, as it is a great way to stay involved, give back and create value."

ROBERT HEFNER, HEFNER ENERGY

This year, 75 petroleum engineering and two geoscience students worked on 20 unique projects for 11 companies.

SPRING

SUMMER

FA L L

January - May

June - July

August - December

Spring Capstone Projects

STUDENT

PARTICIPANTS Elisheba Choppola Class of 2020

Summer Externship Projects

Fall Capstone Projects

"During my externship project at the Irani Center for Energy Solutions, my team and I worked on a project involving renewable energy, producing hydrogen from natural gas, and all the challenges linked with those goals — things not traditionally taught in the PE program. Throughout the experience, I particularly found working with ArcGIS Pro and online forums to be useful in improving my skills in the processes of gathering, analyzing and presenting data. Working with the new software and subject matter was a challenge, but it was also extremely valuable because I got to develop my confidence as an engineer and data scientist."

2 0 2 0 P R O J E C T L O C AT I O N S

POWD ER RIVER BASIN

UINTA BASIN

ANADARKO BASIN DELAWARE BASIN CENTRAL BASIN PLATFORM

TEXAS PANHANDLE BASIN

INTRODUCING JACK ZEDLITZ Jack Zedlitz, a cross-functional leader with more than 14 years of experience in the energy industry, has been named the director of professional development for the Irani Center for Energy Solutions in the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy at OU. The Mewbourne College has nearly 30 years of experience offering professional development courses through the Energy Institute of the Americas. The EIA has been folded under the Irani Center, where it will continue its mission of educating and training professionals in the skills and knowledge needed for energy development and related environmental issues.

Zedlitz holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of California at Santa Barbra and a second bachelor’s degree in development studies in sociology, geography and environmental science from Rhodes University in South Africa. At Georgetown University, Zedlitz carried out graduate studies in government and Middle Eastern studies. In 2017, he earned a master’s degree in energy management from Oklahoma City University.

Zedlitz has more than a decade of experience in corporate finance, sell-side investment banking, corporate communications, operational planning and upstream oil and gas asset management. He most recently served as an integrated planner for Devon Energy and was responsible for freshwater supply and produced water takeaway for the Powder River Basin program.

“By leveraging the Irani Center's strengths and personnel, we can continue the legacy of the Energy Institute of the Americas and grow the program to bring courses to even more professionals around the world.”

Y O A N A S A M P E R D E WA L S C H A P Thank you, Yoana, for your decades of service and for building the legacy of professional development programs at Mewbourne College! Congratulations on your retirement.

Learn more about our professional development programs by clicking on the images above.

T H A N K YO U Our pursuit to provide opportunity for all would not be possible without the generous support of our donors and corporate sponsors.

ERNIE STEINER FAMILY

MICHAEL S. TURNER

o u .e d u / m c e e / i c e s T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F O K L A H O M A I S A N E Q U A L O P P O R T U N I T Y I N S T I T U T I O N . W W W. O U . E D U / E O O T H I S P U B L I C AT I O N W A S C R E AT E D F O R D I G I TA L D I S T R I B U T I O N A N D H A S B E E N P R E P A R E D A N D D I S T R I B U T E D AT N O C O S T T O T H E TA X P AY E R S O F T H E S TAT E O F OKLAHOMA.