Five faculty members in the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University were recently selected by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) to receive SPE Regional Awards.
SPE is a global professional organization dedicated to advancing the technical and professional development of energy professionals. Through conferences, publications and recognition programs, SPE supports knowledge sharing and celebrates outstanding contributions to the oil and gas industry.
The Gulf Coast North America regional awards recognize those who have contributed exceptional service and leadership to the society, as well as those who have made major professional contributions to their technical disciplines.
Regional Data Science and Engineering Analytics Award
Dr. Siddharth Misra, the Ted H. Smith, Jr. ’75 and Max R. Vordenbaum ’73 DVG Associate Professor, was awarded the Regional Data Science and Engineering Analytics Award. This award recognizes outstanding achievements or contributions to the advancement of petroleum engineering in data science and engineering analytics, with a focus on global impact. Individuals who receive this award have significantly influenced the industry with their work.
Regional Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty
Dr. Sara Abedi, associate professor and Stephen A. Holditch Faculty Fellow, was awarded the Regional Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty. Established in 1981, this award recognizes superior teaching, excellence in research, significant contributions to the petroleum engineering profession and special effectiveness in advising and guiding students.
Regional Sustainability and Stewardship in the Oil and Gas Industry Award
Dr. Rita Esuru Okoroafor, assistant professor and Chevron Corporation Faculty Fellow, received the Regional Sustainability and Stewardship in the Oil and Gas Industry Award. This award recognizes the outstanding efforts and impacts of individuals in the upstream oil and gas industry, in innovating, adopting and promoting key aspects of sustainable development at scale.
"I believe we can meet the world’s growing energy needs while caring for people and the environment,” Okoroafor said. “The oil and gas sector remains essential to providing reliable and affordable energy; making the entire energy mix more sustainable is a personal passion. I am truly honored by this recognition from SPE; it reflects the dedication of my students and collaborators to do even more to translate research into real-world stewardship.”
Regional Drilling Engineering Award
Dr. Roman Shor, associate professor and Douglas Von Gonten Faculty Fellow, was awarded the Regional Drilling Engineering Award. This award recognizes outstanding achievement or contributions to the advancement of petroleum engineering in drilling engineering technology. This technical discipline covers drilling equipment, operational environment, downhole operations, site operations, drilling design and analysis and drilling management.
“A good well is better than a cheap well, “ Shor said, “Drillers are incentivized to drill faster and reduce the time from spud to well completion. Yet, well quality impacts future production or injection operations and eventual abandonment. I am truly honored by this recognition from SPE, and I look forward to the continued impact my students and collaborators will have through the development of open-source models and visualization tools, new bit designs, unconventional drilling technologies, and long-life wells for energy production and storage.”
Regional Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award
Dr. Kiseok Kim, assistant professor and Class of ‘75 Development Professor, was awarded the Regional Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award. This award recognizes outstanding achievement or contributions to the advancement of petroleum engineering in reservoir technology.
“These SPE-GCS awards are a testament to the exceptional dedication our faculty bring to the department’s missions of teaching, research and service,” said Dr. Thomas Blasingame, department head of petroleum engineering. “The awardees’ success is representative of the outstanding commitment of our entire faculty. I am truly proud of this year’s winners and look forward to the continued impact they, and all our faculty, have on our industry and our department’s missions.”
The recipients were honored at the 2025 SPE Gulf Coast Section Awards and Scholarship Banquet in August.