Congratulations to SPE member Belinda Wu “New Faces of Engineering” 2011 honoree!

Author: Heather Stanford; Published: Feb 21, 2011; Category: Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Engineering Careers, Environment, Geology, Math, Renewable energy, Science, SPE members, Technology, Volunteering; Tags: Careers, Education, Energy, energy challenges, Engineering, Engineering Careers, eWeek, Geology, Geothermal, natural gas, oil, Petroleum, SPE, Technology, Volunteer; Comments: Comments Off

This year the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is proud to announce that Belinda Wu, an SPE member, was among the New Faces of Engineering honorees for 2011.

Each year, National Engineers Week Foundation, a coalition of engineering societies, major corporations and government agencies, asks its members to nominate colleagues 30 years old and younger for consideration as one of the New Faces of Engineering. The work of the 2011 class reflects many of the most pressing issues that engineers are endeavoring to solve on a global scale, including energy resources, infrastructure renewal, technological advancement and national security.

Belinda Wu is currently a reservoir engineer for Woodside Energy Ltd. in Perth, Australia. She is passionate about her work because it is so dynamic, facing different challenges from day to day. As a reservoir engineer in the oil and gas industry, her job involves finding and extracting hydrocarbons from reservoir rock deep below the surface of the earth. Much of the world’s energy is sourced from oil and gas, so her work involves constantly improving on technologies that will enable more hydrocarbons to be extracted in a cost effective manner. She is excited about being an engineer. She chose her career because she enjoys the thrill of solving complex problems and likes the flexibility to work on site or in the office.  Plus, working in the oil and gas industry gives her the opportunity to travel.

Wu is currently a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and serves on the young professionals coordinating committee in the Western Australian section. She is also a 2010 SPE regional award winner for outstanding young professional.

Wu holds a bachelor degree with honors in chemical engineering from the University of Adelaide. The petroleum engineering profession includes chemical, mechanical, civil, electrical and marine engineers, as well as those with degrees in petroleum engineering.

Read more about the New Faces of Engineering honorees for 2011 or learn more about engineering careers.

Happy new year from Energy4me!

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Jan 5, 2011; Category: Classroom materials, Classroom presentations, Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education; Tags: Children, Classroom Instruction, Education, Energy, energy challenges, Energy4me, School, SPE, Student, Teacher, Volunteer; Comments: Be the first

Thank you for supporting SPE’s Energy4me program during 2010! We appreciate the time and dedication of volunteers like you who have contributed to the success of our program.

We hope you’ve had a chance to visit the new energy4me.org website for ready-to-go classroom presentation activities, customizable PowerPoints, technical videos, and other educational resources. We’re excited to now offer many of our materials in Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.

Be sure to check our blog often to participate in discussions on current energy education topics. Or contact us to be a guest blogger on our website. We would love to share your expertise with others as well as how you may have energized a classroom in your community!

We welcome your feedback on any of our materials. Let us know how we are doing at energyed@spe.org.

France: A Nuclear Success Story

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Dec 21, 2010; Category: Energy, Energy Conservation, Energy Education, Energy sources, Environment, Uncategorized; Tags: Education, Energy, energy challenges, science, Technology; Comments: Be the first

Nuclear power has provided electricity around the world for decades, but it has been especially successful in countries like France, where other energy sources are scarce. In fact, when asked why the country has so much nuclear power, the French have been known to answer: “No oil, no gas, no coal, no choice.” France depends on nuclear power for 79% of its electricity generation and has more than 50 nuclear power plants. In comparison, nuclear provides less than 20% of the United States’ power.

So what makes nuclear more popular in France than in other countries? In a report for the Public Broadcasting Service’s news program Frontline, French ministry official Claude Mandil said the country is more accepting of nuclear power for three reasons:

1. They are independent and don’t want to rely on foreign energy sources.
2. They favor taking on large projects and hold scientists and engineers in higher esteem than many other countries do.
3. The French government has carefully marketed nuclear energy, its benefits and risks, and encourages people to tour facilities to learn more about them.

According to surveys, the French have the same safety concerns about nuclear power as Americans –accidents, negative health effects from radiation and more. But they also recognize that their lives would be more difficult without nuclear power. Plus, the country has a very good safety record, with just one serious accident in 1992 in which three untrained workers were contaminated and injured. — three power plant executives were jailed for not taking proper safety precautions.; This safety record also helps people feel more at ease with the country’s reactors.

Many countries have plans for new nuclear power plants in the future, including Egypt, Indonesia and Kazakhstan, all countries that have never used nuclear power before – so time will tell whether these countries welcome it with France’s enthusiasm!

See Energy4me’s energy source comparison to see how nuclear stacks up with other fuel sources.

Why would students want to become an engineer?

Author: Guest Author; Published: Nov 19, 2010; Category: Energy, Energy Education, Engineering Careers, Environment, Geology, Math, Renewable energy, Science, Technology, Uncategorized; Tags: Careers, Earth science, Education, Energy, energy challenges, Energy Conservation, Engineering, Geology, Geothermal, Math, Petroleum, School, science, Student, Technology; Comments: Be the first

Guest Author – Marva Morrow, Energy Education Consultant

As students are moving from the classroom to the real world, the biggest question is, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”  Becoming an engineer might be the right career for you if you want to have a career that’s exciting, flexible, and where you can really make a difference!

Did you know that engineering is one of the few fields where you can earn a good salary after only four years of college? In the US, engineers’ starting salary can range from USD 52,048 – USD 83,121 a year depending on which type of engineering field you pursue, according to the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) Engineering salaries have been higher than average salaries for the last 40 years and according to the US Department of Labor, engineers starting salaries are among the highest of all college graduates.

Top-Paid Majors for 2009-10 Bachelor’s Degree Graduates (Source: NACE)

Major	Average Salary Offer
Petroleum Engineer	USD 77,278
Chemical Engineer	USD 64,889
Mining and Mineral Engineer	USD 63,207
Computer Science	USD 60,473
Computer Engineering	USD 60,396

Engineers are well-paid globally, though salaries will vary depending on the country. For example, typical starting salaries for petroleum engineers in the UK range from £29,000 – £36,500, according to salary data collected August 2009 (USD 36,000-USD 49,000). The Society of Petroleum Engineers has just published its 2010 salary survey that shows salaries based on years of experience in different parts of the world.

Besides earning a great salary, engineers can choose to work in the field or in the office. In certain industries, some engineers travel around the world working from one site to another. Since science and technology are constantly advancing, there will always be new problems to solve making a career as an engineer always exciting! Engineers are constantly challenged to “think outside of the box” and to explore new possibilities, making our lives better.

Science and technology are the gateway to tomorrow and someone will be engineering it. WHY NOT YOU!

Learn more about engineering careers.

A Career in Geology Rocks!

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Oct 20, 2010; Category: Energy, Energy Conservation, Energy Education, Energy sources, Environment, Geology, Renewable energy, Science; Tags: Careers, Earth, Earth science, Education, Energy, energy challenges, Energy Conservation, Environment, Geology, Renewable, School, science, Student, sustainability, Teacher; Comments: Be the first

The numbers of jobs in the geosciences are predicted to grow by 22% in the next 10 years!

Geoscientists work to solve some of our planet’s greatest challenges. Climate change. The environment. Energy. Water resources. Population growth. Our changing global environment is putting geoscientists in great demand.

Many students have never considered a career in geology. They may think that geology is only about rocks but geoscientists study the Earth, its minerals, rocks, fossils, atmosphere and more! There are many disciplines within geology. Geology, geophysics, hydrology, oceanography, marine science, atmospheric science, planetary science, meteorology, environmental science, and soil science are all considered to be the main geosciences disciplines by the National Science Foundation.

Geoscientists perform many different roles. Explorers, writers, environmental consultants, and teachers are just some of the many roles they play. When working they are never board and stuck in a cubicle. The often divide their time between the laboratory, the field and the office. Geoscientists work in many different places to learn about the Earth’s environment and resources.

They have many questions about the Earth, the solar system, the environment, life on Earth and other planets! They also observe the environment and how current situations affect one another. By increasing their knowledge and understanding of the geosciences and how they relate to one another, geoscientists improve the quality of our lives.

Students who think they might want to pursue a career in geology should focus their studies on biology, science, chemistry, physics, math, and computer science. Communication and writing skills are also important, because geologists must be able to write reports and effectively communicate their scientific findings. Most university students pursue a masters or doctoral degrees while gaining experience in the field.

Students who like sciences should consider geology as a career – they might find out it really rocks! Learn more about geology careers.