Published May 13, 2023
By Christine Reed
The School of Energy Resources (SER) is pleased to celebrate the spring graduates in the Class of 2023. With an increasingly growing program, this semester nine students in the Energy Resource Management and Development (ERMD) degree program are walking at the spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 13.
The ERMD program prepares students for essential roles in industries such as oil and natural gas, renewable energy, and mining. Students take a core curriculum focusing in business, natural resources, law and policy, project management, and rangeland ecology and watershed management. The program offers two concentrations for specialization, Professional Land Management (PLM) or Energy and Environmental Systems (EES).
PROFESSIONAL LAND MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION
Six of the nine graduates completed their Bachelor of Science degree in ERMD completed their studies in the PLM concentration.
Montgomery Hughes
Originally from Claremore, Okla., Montgomery “Monty” Hughes will graduate with a B.S. in ERMD and a minor in Natural Resource Economics and has been an active leader in the PLM concentration and student club. He is the outgoing president of the Student Chapter of Energy Resources (SCER) and has previously served as senator for the School of Energy Resources to the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW). He has been recognized on the Dean’s list in both 2020 and 2021 for his scholastic achievements, as well as the President’s honor roll in 2022.
While at UW, Hughes gained valuable experience in multiple internships with energy companies such as Culbreath Oil & Gas Co Inc. and HDR. After graduation, Hughes will be staying in Wyoming where he will work as a land professional.
Kieran McMullen
Kieran McMullen of Castle Pines, Colo. will graduate with dual degrees in ERMD as well as a Bachelor of Science Business in Finance with a minor in Mathematics. He transferred to the University of Wyoming in the Fall of 2021 after spending three years studying at Concordia College-New York. Outside of the classroom, Kieran has worked to stay active in the UW community, notably with his involvement in the student club, SCER, where he assumed the roles of Chief Operating Officer (2021-2022) and Chief Financial Officer (2022-2023).
In recognition of his academic achievements, McMullen was nominated for the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) Outstanding Graduate Award as part of the Landman Scholarship Trust (LST). LST recognizes an Outstanding Graduate each year from graduating seniors of AAPL’s accredited college or university undergraduate programs who are pursuing a career as a landman and have demonstrated great leadership in work, extracurricular activities, and their student landmen’s association.
After graduation, McMullen will be headed to Texas to work in the oil and gas industry as a land professional.
Dayton Reese
Without any previous exposure to the energy industry, Dayton Reese of Brighton, Colo. forged his own path pursuing a degree in the energy sector. Originally a petroleum engineering student at UW, he changed his major to ERMD and found his niche in land management.
During the four years of his education, Reese was a perennial name on the honor roll or Dean’s list. He too, gained valuable experience working as an intern for an energy company and was able to retain a remote position part-time while in school to further his practical skills.
Reese also held executive positions with the SCER board.
Upon graduation, he will be starting a new position as a Land Tech at Anschutz Exploration Corporation.
Lily Simon
Lily Simon of Kaycee, Wyo. pursued her degree in ERMD as a non-traditional student. Already a working professional in real estate, Simon holds a bachelor’s degree in business management, an associate’s degree in paralegal studies, and a Wyoming real estate license. She has over five years of experience in residential and agricultural real estate, as well as aiding in the acquisition of new leases for energy development.
Drawn to the degree by her background and passion, the PLM program was a perfect fit for her future career goals. Her family operates an oil production company near Kaycee, where she will work as a landman and serve as an advocate for the oil and gas industry. She also plans to provide contract land work in and around the Powder River Basin.
Elijah Vigil
Originally from Castle Pines, Colo., Elijah “Eli” Vigil knew that he wanted to becoming a professional landman from an early age. Following in the footsteps of his father, a petroleum engineer, he cultivated a passion for the oil and gas industry in his youth.
Eli has been a driving force in the degree, invigorating the program with his enthusiasm and has been instrumental in the success of the student club. He is the current Vice President, and former President, of SCER, and serves on the AAPL Annual Meeting/ Seminar Education Committee.
Throughout his time at UW, Eli has had multiple internships where he excelled. He worked with the University of Wyoming Foundation where he organized and managed the Foundation’s oil and gas interests across nine states and presented his finding to the University of Wyoming Foundation Board, and also interned for Liberty Resources. He leased over 2,500 net mineral acres over the course of the summer with the company.
Upon graduation Vigil will begin working with EOG Resources and will be based out of their Oklahoma City office.
Christopher Welch
Chris Welch of Cleveland, Ohio was drawn to the ERMD major by the stellar faculty that teach in the program. During his time at UW, he has been the recipient of multiple scholarships, including the prestigious AAPL National Scholarship.
Welch has been actively involved in the program, taking advantage of the opportunities for field visits and tours, as well as to attend club activities. Additionally, he is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity where he regularly volunteered on the Philanthropy Committee to organize community service events.
After graduation, he plans to begin his career in the energy sector.
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS CONCENTRATION
The remaining graduates in the class of 2023, completed the ERMD in the EES concentration.
Michael Fenton
Michael Fenton of Billings, Mont. transferred to UW from the Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) where he was a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) track and field athlete specializing in the throws. While at Indiana Tech, Fenton was pursuing a degree in energy engineering, completing interdisciplinary coursework across mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering disciplines.
At UW, he chose the EES concentration of the ERMD degree because he knew that the energy industry had plenty to offer for career paths and his personal interests, as well as the opportunity to work in the field. During his time at SER, he was involved in SCER where he held the position of Energy and Environmental Systems liaison and was also on the Dean’s list and honor roll.
After graduation, Michael will begin work for Vivid Engineering Group in Denver Colorado, where he previously interned working on Kiewit’s Central 70 project.
Shane Heavin
Shane Heavin of Rock Springs, Wyo. has over twenty years of experience in the energy industry. Returning to school to pursue some specialized education, Heavin is triple majoring in ERMD, Sociology, and Energy, Environment and Natural Resources (ENR). He is also completing a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
While at UW, Heavin was a member of the student team that was the recipient of an XPrize award from the Elon Musk Foundation and earned a certificate of Supervision and Leadership. He served as the presidential member of the National Society of Leadership & Success and was recently inducted into Alpha Kapa Delta (AKD), the International Sociology Honor Society. Additionally, he gained valuable work experience as a research assistant in SER’s Center for Economic Geology Research, as well as serving as a migration intern with the Wyoming Outdoor Council.
Heavin recently applied to the University of Wyoming College of Law, where he hopes to earn his Juris Doctor and a Master’s degree in ENR through the college’s joint degree program with the UW Haub School of ENR.
Molly Murnane
Molly Murnane of Crofton, Md. is a top scholar in the ERMD program, as well as minors in math and the Honors Program. Motivated from the beginning of her academic career, Murnane landed a coveted, funded research position with the Laughlin Lab on campus through the Wyoming Research Scholars Program (WRSP) as a sophomore, and gained valuable experience as an intern with Disa Technologies in Casper, Wyo.
Murnane is a member of Mortar Board, the oldest honor’s society at UW, and was nominated to receive the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award, UW’s prestigious recognition for outstanding graduating female. She was one of 40 students to be considered for the honor. Students are considered for the award based on their scholarship, leadership, and contributions to UW. Murnane also worked as a math tutor for SER for the last two years and facilitated the study hall for the students. Additionally, she was the President of the Club Women’s Lacrosse team at UW, after serving other officer positions over the last three years.
After graduation, Murnane will begin work as a Land Services Representative for NextEra Energy out of Laramie.
ENERGY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MINOR
In addition to the degree major, SER offers a minor in Energy Resource Management (ERM), allowing students in other academic programs to gain interdisciplinary training in energy, expanding their career opportunities. Two students in other UW departments will be graduating with this extra accolade.
Lander Stone
Lander Stone of Laramie will graduate with SER’s ERM minor. He is graduating with a B.S. in Environmental Systems Science, a B.A. in Religious Studies, a minor in the Honors program, a certificate in Remote Sensing, and a certificate in GIS.
Stone was also on the student-led team in the Carbon Removal Student Competition funded by XPRIZE and the Musk Foundation on a project that worked to improve the design of existing carbon soil gas monitoring sensors used at the Wyoming CarbonSAFE project site.
Following graduation, Lander will work for SER where he will assist with tribal outreach projects, before leaving to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in the fall in Paraguay.
Benjamin Wood, Roswell, Georgia
Originally from Roswell, Ga., Benjamin Wood is graduating with a B.S. in Marketing from the College of Business along with a minor in SER’s ERM program. With a passion for the outdoors and environmental conservation and stewardship, the minor will allow him to utilize his degree in the energy and environmental sectors.
While at UW, Wood was a participant of the student ambassador program at SER, which helps to promote the ERM minor on campus and to link other students with the department through representation and education.
SER-FUNDED GRADUATE STUDENTS
SER also supports a multitude of graduate students housed in different departments across campus that conduct research on SER projects. Predominantly working through the Centers of Excellence at SER, graduate level students regularly advance energy innovation in engineering, economics, and geology in areas carbon management, nuclear capacity building, carbon engineering, hydrogen use and transportation, and techno-economic assessments for emerging energy technologies.
SER-funded graduate students completing their masters or doctoral degrees this spring or summer include Bourzeriba Alsunuse, Cooper Eaton, Jing Liu, Resham Thapa, Tao Wu, Yi Yao, Jintao Miao, Elijah Ellis, Xinyan Wang, Nida Zafar, Rober Cincotta.
“We are so proud of all of the students that are graduating,” says SER Academic Director Kami Danaei. “Graduation is always such a special day because we get to see our students celebrating their achievement and know that they are about to embark on an incredible career in energy and beyond. This particular group of students has been especially involved in the program and student club. We will miss them tremendously but know that they will be representing SER well into the future, and they have left a legacy of inspiration for other students to follow.”
