New Agreement will Boost Enrollment in UW Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering

The University of Wyoming Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering recently entered into a five-year articulation agreement with the School of Energy and Natural Resources at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).

The two-plus-two agreement will facilitate the transfer of NAIT students to UW after two years of study at their home institution in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to complete their Bachelor of Science degrees within another two to two-and-a-half years of study.

While the current agreement, signed Nov. 5, is specific to the petroleum engineering programs at each institution, NAIT is excited about potential future two-plus-two agreements to facilitate the transfer of students into chemical engineering, electrical engineering and other degree programs at UW.

Agatha Ojimelukwe, dean of NAIT’s School of Energy and Natural Resources, is thrilled about the potential of the new partnership with UW.

“This collaboration not only enhances educational opportunities for our graduates but also strengthens the North American Energy Corridor, facilitating a more seamless movement of talent,” Ojimelukwe says.

Danny Dale, interim dean of the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Soheil Saraji, a UW associate professor of energy and petroleum engineering, both traveled to NAIT in Edmonton to ratify the agreement during a signing ceremony with Ojimelukwe. Douglas Cuthbertson, external relations for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Tate Noble, assistant director of development at the UW Foundation, also were part of the UW delegation in attendance.

“This agreement is good for the vibrancy of our petroleum engineering program at UW, is important for the state of Wyoming, and contributes to the overall economic benefit of both the U.S. and Canada,” Dale says. “The industry needs more petroleum engineers in the field, and this partnership will help fill that need.”

Similar agreements are in place or in the works between the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and other institutions as well, including Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Canisius University in Buffalo, N.Y., and Aims Community College in Greeley, Colo.

To facilitate foreign study in the U.S., the Eresman Family Engineering Endowment at UW provides funds for scholarships that give preference to NAIT and SAIT graduates transferring into the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering.

UW has long welcomed students from both NAIT and SAIT. Their curricula provide an eminently strong foundation in technical skills and applied experience. Students from the institutions have traditionally been very successful at UW, which provides a cost-effective route to a high-quality advanced degree. The current agreement formalizes what has been a highly successful relationship between the institutions over the years.

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to expanding educational access and preparing students with the technical and problem-solving skills needed to lead in an evolving energy landscape,” Saraji says. “By connecting Alberta’s applied expertise with Wyoming’s advanced engineering education, we’re helping strengthen the energy workforce across the Rocky Mountain region.”