UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Students Take Career Trek to Oklahoma

University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students participated in a career trek to Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla., during their winter 2023 break.

The three-day trip offered a lineup of visits with organizations and representatives within the energy industry, including Continental Resources, the Hamm Institute for American Energy, Baker Hughes, Devon Energy and Williams Energy. The trek offered an opportunity for the students to have meaningful interactions with professionals in the energy field.

“Career trek opportunities allow students to learn more about an industry they may soon be a part of,” says Tyler Grabner, associate director for career services in the college’s Susan McCormack Center for Student Success. “Students get an inside view of how some of these companies operate and build valuable connections with their leaders.”

Faculty accompanying the group included Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering head and LeNorman Endowed Leadership Chair Vamegh Rasouli, Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering Associate Instructional Professor Tawfik Elshehabi and Scott Quillinan, senior director of research for the UW School of Energy Resources.

“Trek experiences, like our recent trip to Oklahoma City and Tulsa, provide a unique opportunity for students to meet face to face with industry partners and learn about the career opportunities available to them,” says College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Director of Development Teddi Freedman. “Companies have the chance to see and engage with the high-caliber students we have here at UW.”

Thanks to the generosity of Marathon Oil, which established a fund in 2008, students who are selected to take part in this unique professional development opportunity do so at no personal expense.

“I would recommend this trip to anyone, no matter their major, as it teaches skills and provides opportunities that are difficult to find on one’s own,” says Miriam Wolfley, a junior from Grover majoring in geology.

Here are all of the students who participated, listed by hometown:

Akron, Colo. -- Jaden Hottinger.

Al Sherouk City, Egypt -- Magda Soliman.

Aurora, Colo. -- Roman Yushkevich.

Bandung, Indonesia -- Alvinda Hanamertani.

Basra, Iraq -- Zainab Alabawi.

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia -- Moustafa Aly.

Dickinson, N.D. -- Austin Haider.

Gillette -- Alex O’Dell.

Giza, Egypt -- Omar Elmasry.

Grover -- Miriam Wolfley.

Ibeju Lekki, Nigeria -- Adaeze Eze.

Khulna, Bangladesh -- Ahmad Zaman.

Lochbuie, Colo. -- James Kuemmerle.

Marysville, Wash. -- William Lawler.

Tanta, Egypt -- Ahmed Aboahmed.

Torino, Italy -- Alirza Orujov.

To learn more about College of Engineering and Physical Sciences opportunities available to students and employers, visit www.uwyo.edu/ceas/resources/studentservices/jobs/index.html.

Those interested in participating in meaningful engagement opportunities with UW can email Angela Ver Ploeg, director of corporate engagement, at angela.verploeg@uwyo.edu.