HOUSTON – ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) continued its commitment to advance data science education with contributions to four universities totaling nearly $3 million. The donations will help meet the growing demand for data science college coursework by funding programs at Oklahoma State University, the University of Houston, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas.
“We’ve been able to develop better ways to do our work by building better prediction and optimization models leveraging data science, so it’s important that the next generation also have these ever-advancing skills to help solve tomorrow’s challenges,” said Mike Pfister, ConocoPhillips chief information officer. “These four universities will provide ConocoPhillips with better-prepared graduates with enhanced data science experience. We’re proud that our investment will help equip their students with increasingly vital analytics skills.”
The multi-year contributions will help shape the universities’ data science curricula across various disciplines, with a focus on applications related to the oil and gas industry.
Oklahoma State University will use a $670,000 contribution to expand existing data science and analytics offerings to create a campus-wide, cross-disciplinary initiative in data analytics. This effort will also enable students to work collaboratively with ConocoPhillips employees to address real-world oil and gas data analytics challenges.
The University of Houston will use a previously announced $1 million contribution to fund new faculty positions in the computer science and mathematics departments, along with fellowships for graduate students with strong data science skills.
The University of Oklahoma will use a $1 million contribution in support of its Data Science and Analytics Institute. The university will also develop certificate programs that will be available to students in the Gallogly College of Engineering, Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy and Price College of Business in early 2020.
The University of Texas will utilize a $300,000 contribution to fund a research educator position and student fellowships for an energy analytics undergraduate research group. The university will also dedicate a portion of its existing investors program to allow undergraduate students to work on innovation and other topics with guidance from ConocoPhillips.
In addition to these data science contributions, ConocoPhillips provides ongoing annual support to these universities to fund scholarships, programs, faculty and facilities.
ConocoPhillips is the world’s largest independent E&P company based on production and proved reserves. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ConocoPhillips had operations and activities in 16 countries, $70 billion of total assets, and approximately 10,800 employees as of Dec. 31, 2018. Production excluding Libya averaged 1,242 thousand barrels of oil equivalent in 2018, and preliminary proved reserves were 5.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent as of Dec. 31, 2018. For more information, go to www.conocophillips.com.
Front row (from left): Darbi Alstrom, ConocoPhillips lead, Engineering University Recruiting, Megan Gosnell, ConocoPhillips supervisor, Williston Implementation and Planning, Angela Lorson, ConocoPhillips director, JV Audit and Dr. Sunderesh Heragu, Oklahoma State University Regents Professor. Back row (from left): Chris Delk, ConocoPhillips Vice President and General Tax Counsel, Greg Leveille, ConocoPhillips Chief Technology Officer, Rick Wilson, Department Head of Oklahoma State University’s Management Science and Information Systems, and Zane Gardner, ConocoPhillips supervisor, Analytics Operations and Service DEL. Oklahoma State University will use a $670,000 contribution from ConocoPhillips to expand existing data science and analytics offerings to create a campus-wide, cross-disciplinary initiative in data analytics. This effort will also enable students to work collaboratively with ConocoPhillips employees to address real-world oil and gas data analytics challenges.
Jaspal Subhlok, University of Houston’s Department of Computer Science chairman (middle), sits with some of the computer science faculty at the University of Houston. The University of Houston will use a previously announced $1 million contribution from ConocoPhillips to fund new faculty positions in the computer science and mathematics departments, along with fellowships for graduate students with strong data science skills.
Paul Richardson, ConocoPhillips supervisor, Corporate Staff Analytics (left), with students from the Gallogly College of Engineering, Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy and Price College of Business (center), Darbi Alstrom, ConocoPhillips lead, University Engineering Recruiting and Carlos Russian, ConocoPhillips senior geophysicist (right). The University of Oklahoma will use a $1 million contribution from ConocoPhillips in support of its Data Science and Analytics Institute. The university will also develop certificate programs that will be available to students in the Gallogly College of Engineering, Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy and Price College of Business in early 2020.
ConocoPhillips Chief Information Officer Mike Pfister visits with University of Texas students. ConocoPhillips’ $300,000 contribution to the university will fund a research educator position and student fellowships for an energy analytics undergraduate research group. The university will also dedicate a portion of its existing investors program to allow undergraduate students to work on innovation and other topics with guidance from ConocoPhillips.
