Speaker #1 Title: Senior Production Engineer

Speaker #1 Company: BHP Billiton

Speaker #1 Bio: Kingsley Ekworomadu, born and raised in Nigeria, is an alumnus of The Pennsylvania State University. As a Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineer in Houston, TX for the past 12+ years, he has concurrently made an impact in the fitness space for the past 15+ years.  He developed his skills in production engineering which has allowed him to work different areas within the US:  From Texas to Louisiana and Arkansas.  As he spent some of his evenings creating specific goal-oriented workouts for his clients, he started to realize the power of the mental state and how it affected his clients.

Speaker #1 Abstract: Given the cyclical nature of the oil and gas business there are increasing trends of companies downsizing and merging to prevent folding up.  Employees are constantly in a state of stress and anxiety. Not knowing when the next round of layoffs will be coming.  Scientific studies have shown that exercise has multiple health benefits including alleviating stress and anxiety.  The journey of the physical transformation/improvement begins to have a profound impact on how you think about yourself and the steps one takes toward better health. 

Speaker #2 Title: Managing Director

Speaker #2 Company: BlueVine Ventures

Speaker #2 Bio: Kemal Farid is a technology investor and twenty-five-year veteran of the oil and gas industry where he founded and lead software, electronics, and services businesses in exploration, drilling and production.  He is a Managing Director of BlueVine Ventures, a multistage venture capital firm, headquartered in Silicon Valley, focusing on industrial and scientific technology.  He previously founded Merrick and was awarded Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an Entrepreneurship Masters from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Event #2 Abstract: Entrepreneurship

Kemal will discuss his thirty-year journey as an entrepreneur and his current endeavors as a venture capitalist.  What are the challenges of entrepreneurship?  What does it take to build a successful company?  What is the role of capital in technology ventures?

Speaker #3 Title: Consulting Geoscientist

Speaker #3 Bio: Judy Schulenberg is a graduate of the University of Houston in Geology/Geophysics Option.  She has worked for a variety of companies including Amoco, Landmark and Southwestern Energy among others.  She is experienced in seismic acquisition, seismic interpretation and prospect generation, training and development, G&G supervision, recruiting, and mentoring.  She is AAPG certified in both geology and geophysics and is certified in Myers-Briggs Personality Assessments.  She is a long-standing member of SEG, GSH, SEG and AAPG. She is a founding member of the University of Houston College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Alumni Association. Ms. Schulenberg is active in HGS as a delegate in the AAPG House of Delegates, as Secretary on the W. L. Calvert Memorial Scholarship Board and was recognized as an HGS Rising Star 2018.  She served as Academic Liaison Co-chair recruiting speakers for the 2-day 2018 HGS Flood Conference and the HGS Continuing Education Committee. 

Speaker #3 Abstract: The Hedgehogs’ Dilemma

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer and psychologist Sigmund Freud used a tale that Schopenhauer called the “Hedgehogs’ Dilemma” as a metaphor describing the difficulty of human interactions and relationships.  Whether in career transition or building a new career, knowing yourself and your communication style can be an important tool in your success. Personality assessments which help identify personality indicators can be helpful in bridging communication styles and differences. These tools are not new but, in combination with other techniques, can be very effective in both individual and team settings for coaching and motivation, as a means to conflict resolution and for understanding how individuals learn best.  There are many personality assessments available; a few aspects of the more widely used assessments will be discussed.