WKU News

WKU’s Imperial Barrel Team took top honors in the 2017 regional Imperial Barrel Award competition, held March 17 & 18 in Pittsburgh, PA. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists' Imperial Barrel Award Program (IBA) is a rigorous competition for geoscience graduate students from universities around the world, competing to win scholarship funds and international recognition for their geoscience department.  Competing with 11 universities in the Eastern Section, the WKU team advances as one of the final 12 university teams advancing to the Worldwide IBA Competition in Houston, TX on April 1, 2017. 

Members of the WKU Imperial Barrel Team are (left to right) Matt Boudreaux (M.S. Geoscience student from Morehead, KY), Shelby Bowden (M.S. Geoscience student from Greenville, SC), faculty advisor Dr. Royhan Gani (Associate Professor of Geology in the Dept of Geography and Geology), Matthew Bentley (M.S. Geoscience student from Garrett, KY), Michael Arthur (M.S. Geoscience student from Missoula, MT), and Jesse Boling (undergraduate Geology student from Owensboro, KY).  The team is mentored by Toby Roesler of Stone Energy.

In this global competition, university teams analyze various types of subsurface data to evaluate energy (non-renewable) resources.  The teams deliver their results in a 25 minute presentation to a panel of industry experts. The judges select the winning team on the basis of the technical quality, clarity and originality of presentation.

The Imperial Barrel Award Competition is hosted annually by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the AAPG Foundation, which aim to foster scientific research, to advance the science of geology, to promote technology, to inspire high professional conduct, to increase public awareness of geology and to enhance professional development within the field.