AAPG Student Programs

The 2025–26 AAPG Distinguished Lecture (DL) series continues with two presentations by Heather Bedle, a geophysics professor and director of the Sustainable Energy Systems Program at the University of Oklahoma. Each presentation will be followed by a live Q&A session.

Nov 4, 2025 12:00 PM
Register here: https://aapg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6z-Kut1OTQyJU8i5IAFrVg
Accurate subsurface characterization is essential for both conventional and sustainable energy projects, yet traditional methods often fall short.

Join this expert-led session on advanced seismic attributes and machine learning, featuring real-world case studies from the AASPI consortium at the University of Oklahoma.

Learn how to:
• Enhance seismic facies classification and fault detection
• Reveal subtle subsurface features with machine learning
• Apply techniques to hydrocarbons, carbon storage, and geothermal systems
• Select attributes and implement ML approaches effectively
Gain actionable insights to improve reservoir characterization, reduce uncertainty, and make informed decisions across diverse geologic settings.

Nov 11, 2025 12:00 PM
Register here: https://aapg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Rrnpac5IQgeaOGdJtQAhsg
Machine learning is revolutionizing seismic interpretation—but its “black box” nature can leave interpreters uncertain.

Join us to learn how SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) brings transparency to complex models, showing which seismic attributes drive facies predictions.

What You’ll Learn:
• Local and global insights from SHAP values
• How to spot misclassifications and optimize attributes
• Real-world case studies across varied geologic settings
• Strategies to integrate SHAP into your workflows for more confident decisions
Empower your seismic interpretation with practical machine learning insights to improve accuracy and reliability.

The AAPG Foundation Field Camp Scholarship program will provide eligible and deserving undergraduate-level geoscience students with a one-time $3,000 grant.

Thanks to generous contributors, including L. Austin Weeks and Marta Weeks-Wulf, the Foundation will proudly grant more than $90,000 in funds to geoscience students and student associations annually.

Accepting applications November 1, 2025 – February 1, 2026

Apply here: https://aapgfoundation.submittable.com/submit/337211/aapg-foundation-field-camp-scholarship-2026

Hosted in Houston's Energy Corridor, the 2025 Houston Geological Society Student Expo is the largest geoscience student career fair in North America. Last year, 300 students representing 30 states and 70 universities had the opportunity to network with, present their resumes to, and interview with 20 companies for internship and full-time positions in applied geosciences.
Registration is open and ongoing for students and sponsors. We're excited to have you join us on Sept. 15!
For more information and to register for the event, visit us online at studentexpo.org before Aug. 29.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Sustainable Energy Development Competition Pitch Contest is almost here.
AAPG Venture Lab 2025 finalists
Register here to attend: https://lnkd.in/dnad-KVX

The ten finalists of the AAPG Venture Lab 2025 are putting the final touches on their pitches, dotting every "i" and crossing every "t."

These are not intangible ideas or hypothetical science projects. These are practical, scalable solutions that the world urgently needs.

From converting animal waste into clean cooking energy, to powering rural homes with water-driven micro-turbines, to cutting millions of tonnes of CO₂ through green chemistry.

From Colombia, India, the Philippines, Malawi, and Indonesia, these young innovators are proving that energy solutions can be both sustainable and impactful. They are leveraging the AAPG Venture Lab, a global innovation space where energy meets sustainability, to build what tomorrow depends on.

Demo Day is June 12, 2025. We are excited. And we want you in the room.

Secure your seat by registering at https://lnkd.in/dnad-KVX

DEADLINE EXTENSION! 16 MARCH 2025
Don't miss it!! Students and Young Professionals -
Do you want to make a difference in the energy industry?

Enter AAPG’s Sustainable Development in Energy Competition for a chance to fund your project and turn your dream into reality.

You could win up to $US 5,000 to fund your project.
Send proposals by 16 March 2025.
Learn more and apply now at sdc.aapg.org or register here https://aapgfoundation.submittable.com/submit/315839/aapg-sustainable-development-in-energy-competition-2025

Students and young professionals–
Do you want to make a difference in the energy industry?

Enter AAPG’s Sustainable Development in Energy Competition for a chance to fund your project and turn your dream into reality.
You could win up to $US 5,000 to fund your project.

Send proposals by 13 March 2025.
Learn more and apply now at sdc.aapg.org or register here https://aapgfoundation.submittable.com/submit/315839/aapg-sustainable-development-in-energy-competition-2025

Join AAPG SDEC and OSU College of Arts and Sciences research experts for a free webinar to introduce STEM students and emerging professionals to the knowledge and skills required to craft compelling and competitive scientific funding proposals. Facilitators will share content and tips organized around three key themes: understanding scientific funding proposals, effective communication and persuasion, and key elements of a successful proposal.

Before diving into the Proposal Writing Workshop, the webinar will include a brief overview of the Sustainable Development in Energy Competition, messages from sponsoring companies and a few past competition winners, and a Q&A session. The entire webinar is expected to last approximately 90 minutes.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your problem-solving and approach skills and engage with knowledgeable experts!

Session 1: 9:00 AM CST / Noon Rio / 3:00 PM London / 7:00 PM Dubai / 10:00 PM Jakarta
Register here: https://aapg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EfnF_DyyT4KFOQjrHfTAjQ

Session 2: 7:00 PM CST / 10:00 PM Rio / 1:00 AM (+1 day) London / 5:00 AM (+1 day) Dubai / 8:00 AM (+1 day) Jakarta
Register here: https://aapg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TJf9BdMxSMeCstLU_5iGCA

In case you missed it!

Cynthia Liutkus-Pierce
Reconstructing a Late Pleistocene East African Paleolandscape using the Footprints of our Ancestors
https://www.aapg.org/career/training/in-person/distinguished-lecture/presentation/articleid/68039

Exploring the Early Miocene: Uncovering the Environmental Roots of Our Primate Ancestors
https://www.aapg.org/career/training/in-person/distinguished-lecture/presentation/articleid/68031

Past DL presentations are streaming online and free for all, thanks to the generous support of the AAPG Foundation.

The 2024-25 AAPG Distinguished Lecture program welcomes Lesli Wood, the Robert J. Weimer Distinguished Professor of Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology at Colorado School of Mines and associate department head in geology and geological engineering. Wood will present her talk, The Shelf is a Dangerous Place: Surfing the Cretaceous Seaways, on 16 January at 12 p.m. (CST). Q&A session will follow the lecture.
Register here: https://aapg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pGRp77afSb2jc-HeZ17kMA

Join us in welcoming Fernanda Raggio, Vice-President of Exploration with YPF. Raggio will present her lecture, Shaping New Leadership in an Evolving Energy Business, on 17 December at 12 p.m. (CST). Q&A session will follow the lecture.
Register here: https://aapg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xNB0FKPHSGuycXjyLJGMgg

Join us in welcoming Linda Price, an executive senior technical advisor for geoscience at ExxonMobil. Price will present her lecture, Next Step in Geoscience Skill Development: Revitalizing Regional Frameworks, Systematic Critical Thinking and Collaborative Interpretation Approaches, on 10 December at 12 p.m. (CST). Q&A session will follow the lecture.
Register here: https://aapg.zoom.us/.../register/WN_evNrgGWbTTuq6IJRcSJ_og

Join us in welcoming Lesli Wood, the Robert J. Weimer Distinguished Professor of Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology at Colorado School of Mines and associate department head in geology and geological engineering. Wood will present her talk, The Future of Geoscience: Your role in saving the Earth, on 19 December at 12 p.m. (CST). Q&A session will follow the lecture.
Register here: https://aapg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eAjYXnrrSw-71EmCKenq6g