A panel hosted by the George Bush Presidential Library on Thursday night hopes to demonstrate the involvement of Texas A&M in the oil industry.
Tracy Pain, director of public programs for the Bush library, said the panel complements an exhibit about offshore drilling on display in the library.
“We try to have all our events spin off of exhibits to delve into the exhibit topics a little bit more,” Pain said. “The A&M and the oil industry panel discussion was a natural fit because of the fact that A&M is so involved in the oil industry and the oil industry is so involved in A&M.”
The panel will consist of Carlos Dengo, director of the Texas A&M Berg-Hughes Center for Petroleum and Sedimentary Systems; Akhil Datta-Gupta, petroleum engineering regents professor and associate department head; and Brad Clement, Director of Science Services International Ocean Discovery Program.
Dengo said the focus will be on discussing the ties between A&M and the oil industry.
“I think the theme is to stress this intimate relationship Texas A&M has with the oil industry, and because of our history how well positioned this university is to continue to contribute and create great engineers and scientists,” Dengo said.
Dengo said namesakes on campus highlight the connections between the oil industry and A&M.
“The relationship between the oil industry and A&M is long lasting and extremely significant to this university,” Dengo said. “If you walk around this campus there is probably a dozen buildings or more that carry the names of alumni that made a difference in the oil industry, and because of their success have given back.”
Datta-Gupta said students should attend the panel to gain appreciation for current events in the oil-and-gas sector.
Datta-Gupta the state of the oil industry is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
“What is going on right now is nothing short of a revolution,” Datta-Gupta said. “In 2005 we were importing about 60 percent of our oil and other liquid fuels in this country and now we are down to less than 30 percent, and the projection says that our import will continue to decrease more and more.”
Dengo said A&M’s influence in oil is expected to continue as the industry continues to flourish in the United States.
“A&M is very well positioned to guide the future of our industry which in turn not only benefits the University but is going to benefit the state of Texas and the nation,” Dengo said. “We will play a role in this country becoming self-sufficient in energy.”
Pain said students should take away a better understanding of what A&M’s role has been within the oil industry.
“I hope that people take away that A&M is one of the forefront institutions as far as education goes for the oil industry and that the students that graduate from here are a higher class from some of the other institutions and they are very well-rounded and receiving one of the best educations they can,” Pain said.
Dengo said the panel is important because people should be informed about what is going on around them on campus.
“A&M is going to be smack in the middle of this energy revolution. We are already,” Dengo said.
Pain said the panel is also an opportunity to learn about possible careers in the oil industry.
“I think that if there are students out there who are struggling with their life plan — they don’t know what they want to do but they understand there are opportunities within A&M that maybe they just don’t know about quite yet,” Pain said. “It’s good to come and learn about the different departments here on campus and the different ways they could be a part of the oil industry.”
Reservations for the panel are free and can be made online at the Bush library’s website. The panel will be held 8 p.m. Friday in the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center’s Hagler Auditorium.