Dear friends and alumni of PNGE,
I am pleased to announce our ongoing improvements in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (PNGE) program. In 2024, the program was ranked #4 and the graduate PNGE-option was ranked #3 nationally by the U.S. News & World Report. Dr. Zuleima Karpyn received the 2024 SPE Distinguished Member Award. Furthermore, Dr. Amin Kordestany joined as an assistant teaching professor.
For the 2024-25 academic year, 130 students are currently enrolled in the PNGE program. Additionally, over fifty M.S. and Ph.D. students are pursuing PNGE graduate studies. Over ninety percent of the class of 2024 successfully secured employment immediately upon graduation. It is anticipated that international student enrollment will decrease while domestic student enrollment will see an increase.
The PNGE program is revising its curriculum to include new courses and content on subsurface energy engineering, such as geologic CO2 storage, hydrogen storage, and geothermal energy. The curriculum will now include three courses: Data Analytics, Subsurface Energy Engineering, and Subsurface Storage Engineering. Additionally, a new certificate titled Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) is being developed.
With a growing population and rising energy needs, petroleum and natural gas will remain the top energy sources in the U.S. through 2050. In March, the PNGE program organized a two-day visit to Capitol Hill, where twelve department heads met with more than thirty congressional offices to seek federal support for university-led research in petroleum and subsurface energy production. Furthermore, our PNGE faculty organized the SPE/PEDHA Workshop in Houston, Texas to set expectations and develop plans to address these challenges that programs face with enrollment targets.
We thank those who have funded endowments and gifts to the PNGE program over the past several decades. These contributions help reduce student costs and support their travel to important events. They also aid in recruiting students and boosting enrollment. Additionally, the PNGE Industrial and Professional Advisory Council (IPAC) has been instrumental in assessing our program and offering key advice for curriculum adjustments to align with the industry’s demands. We welcome all to join our activities. Your support is crucial to maintaining the program’s strength.
Welcome to 2025, a year full of potential!
All the best,
Hamid Emami-Meybodi
Chair and Associate Professor,
Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering