Graduate Mentoring Program

Potential Benefits:

• Insights into research and/or coursework that might be most valuable and relevant to a potential career path.
• Better understanding of potential career paths, job descriptions, and pros and cons of various geoscience careers.
• Professional networking
• Build communication skills
• pointers on relevant professional or leadership development 

Advisory board members interested in mentoring:

• Gather information from interested mentors for program
• How many students interested in mentoring
• Research interest and educational backgrounds
• Availability to mentor (meetings/number of students, etc.)

Matching Board Members and Graduate Students:

• Potential career path interests with mentor career experience (e.g. Academia Government, Economic Geology, Energy, Environmental, etc.)
• Matching based on Research expertise and technical sub-disciplines.
  • Retain potential for students to switch mentors in/when they determine there is no longer a good fit between mentee and mentor (e.g. was interested in pursuing a mining career but after a few meetings with mentor determines career is not what mentee expected)
  • Prefer to meet with mentor with a different perspective on an academic career path instead.

Create a Plan:

• Set up guidelines to mentor

Larry E. Archibald 

• has spent close to 40 years in roles associated with the oil and gas industry. He is currently a non-executive director at Woodside Petroleum, an Australian-based exploration and production (E&P) company. 
• From 2008 to late 2015 he was the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Exploration and Appraisal for ConocoPhillips.
• Prior to that, he worked in a variety of exploration leadership and commercial roles for BP and Amoco.

Mentor: 2 graduate students

Work Background: Oil and gas exploration and production.

Work History: Worked for large multinational oil and gas corporations (Amoco, BP, ConocoPhillips)

• Jobs held throughout career starting out as a geologist; through various levels of management (most in exploration); and ultimately in executive roles.
• Last 8 years of executive career was as the Worldwide Vice President of Exploration and Appraisal for ConocoPhillips.
• Currently serve as a Non-Executive Director for Australia's largest Energy Company (Woodside Energy)

Research Interest: 

• Geoscience Education included a BA in Geology from Colgate and an MS in Geosciences from University of Arizona with emphasis on Sed-Strat and Tectonics.
• Master Business Administrative received to broaden business skills
• Later alf of career included commercial, financial, strategic, and geotechnical content.

Mentoring Strengths:

• Offer informed perspectives on potential careers in the Energy Industry. Including knowledge of traditional oil and gas roles.
• Views on the new and evolving roles in the energy industry needed for the 'energy transition' (e.g. environmental expertise, carbon sequestration, hydrogen)
• Offer perspective on when business experience and/or business education can be a useful supplement to combine with technical expertise.

Availability:

• Flexibility to meet most days (after 9 AM)
  • except on traveling days for business
• Meetings in person or virtually (when convenient, prefer to meet in person)
  • in Tucson area half of the year
  • Would like to meet with students in person over a cup of coffee, locally 

John Pekala 

• BS in Geosciences from the University of Arizona in 1993 and his MS in Geology (Coastal Sedimentology and Stratigraphy) from the University of South Florida in 1996.
• John was a Principal at Ramboll in Phoenix, AZ and a registered Professional Geologist in Arizona and California, with more than 25 years of experience in environmental consulting. 
• His work has included implementing sediment, soil, and water quality investigations, management of water quality monitoring programs, performing environmental due diligence and compliance reviews, evaluating environmental issues for Brownfield redevelopment project sites, evaluation and selection of remedial alternatives,  leading community involvement programs, and representing clients in Stakeholder and regulatory agency communications.
• As of May 2022 accepted a new position with Motorola Solutions as an Environmental Remediation Project Manager
  • responsible for leading work at the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund Site in Scottsdale, Arizona as well as managing work at 10 other sites around the country for which Motorola Solutions has responsibilities.
• John joined the Department of Geosciences Advisory Board in 2011.

Mentor: 1 graduate student

Work Background: Environmental consulting.

Work History: Mostly in environmental consulting can give perspective of this career path.

• Ramboll in Phoenix, Arizona as a registered Professional Geologist in Arizona and California. (more than 25 years experience in environmental consulting)
• Currently Motorola Solutions, Environmental Remediation Project Manager

Mentoring Strengths:

• Implementing sediment, soil, and water quality investigations
• management of water quality monitoring programs
• performing environmental due diligence and compliance reviews
• evaluating environmental issues for Brownfield redevelopment project sites
• evaluation and selection of remedial alternatives
• leading community involvement programs
• representing clients in Stakeholder and regulatory agency communications.

Availability:

• No preference on meeting days/time
• Phone or Video calling
• Possible meeting in Person when in Tucson area. (currently in Phoenix Arizona area)
  • same time zone 

Ray Leonard 

• BS with Honors in Geosciences (75) from the University of Arizona
• MA in Geology (77) from the University of Texas-Austin.
• Chief Operating Officer of Linden Energy Holdings, a company involved in a range of energy transition projects such as gas to power, carbon capture and sequestration, LNG, and hydrogen.
• Lecturer on climate change and the energy industry presenting at national and international forums.
• 40+ year career in energy industry includes Executive Positions with Amoco, the Russian Oil Major YUKOS, and the Kuwait Energy Company 
• CEO of Hyper dynamics, a NYSE-Amex listed company exploring for Oil and Gas in West Africa.
• Joined the Geosciences Advisory Board in 2010.

Mentor: 1 or 2 graduate students

Work Background: 

• Climate Change
• Traditional oil and gas
• Accomplished speaker 
  • AAPG Distinguished lecturer 
    • Council on Foreign Relations,
    • Center for Strategic Studies
    • International Energy Agency
    • AAPG Hedberg Conference
    • Aspen Forum
    • Emirate Center for Strategic Studies
    • 25th World Gas Congress

Work History: worked on international projects over a 40-year career to gain special insight on World Oil and Gas reserves.

• Executive in Russian and Kuwaiti companies
• Director of New Ventures for the Soviet Union by Amoco in 1989
• Vice President of the ill-fated Russian oil major YUKOS from 2001-2004
• Lecturer addressing issues on climate change with governments and international organizations
• CEO of Hyperdynamics (independent company exploring for oil and gas in West Africa)
• Independent consultant for organizations, companies and governments dealing with climate change
• Currently President of Anglo Eurasia, a consulting firm for the Oil and Gas industry.

Mentoring Strengths:

• www.rayleonard.consulting
• Climate change and the energy transition are areas of focus

Availability:

• Based in Houston, Texas
  • traveling 25% of time
• In person mentoring not available
  • Only during advisory board annual meeting (if attending in person)
• Virtual meetings
  • Weekdays 
  • Evenings most convenient

 We apologize, this page is under construction.

We apologize, this page is under construction.