The SPE University of Tulsa’s Student Chapter has re-emerged as a competitive presence at the North American level. The chapter earned the 2026 SPE Outstanding Regional Chapter Award for the first time in 13 years and was selected to host the 2027 North American Student Symposium (NASS) for the first time in chapter history. While these accomplishments may appear sudden from the outside, the resurgence of the SPE UTulsa Student Chapter was not accidental. It was the result of a deliberate effort to prioritize student experience and create an environment where students had meaningful opportunities to grow professionally, technically, and personally.
At its core, the chapter’s approach was simple: give students a reason to show up and, more importantly, a reason to stay involved. That meant creating opportunities that connected classroom concepts to real industry applications, helping students build professional relationships, and making participation in SPE something students genuinely wanted to be a part of to help further their goals for the future.
One of the biggest priorities throughout the year was professional development. We focused heavily on bringing industry professionals directly to students through biweekly lunch-and-learn events. Companies such as Q2 Artificial Lift Services, US Rod, Halliburton-Summit ESP, and OERB all participated in discussions with students about the energy industry and the technical work being done in the field. These events gave students the opportunity to ask questions directly to engineers and other professionals actively working in the industry, while also learning about the practical side of the concepts they study in class.
In addition to lunch-and-learns, the chapter hosted an alumni panel featuring graduates now working at companies such as Continental Resources, H&P, NOV, and Halliburton. Hearing from such accomplished engineers who, 10 years ago, sat in the same seats current students sit in, showed attendees the possibilities of what they can achieve.
The chapter recognizes that students learn best when they can see and experience the processes; they study firsthand. As a result, hands-on learning opportunities became another major focus throughout the year. UTulsa’s chapter organized several industry tours and field trips that allowed students to experience operations firsthand.
One of the field trips was to Balon Valves, where students assembled high-quality valves under the guidance of industry professionals and learned about the manufacturing processes behind equipment commonly used throughout the oil and gas industry.
Earlier in the semester, students also toured NOV’s artificial lift systems facility, where they observed the in-house manufacturing process for pumps and components and learned about the engineering considerations behind artificial lift technologies. The field trips provided students with practical experience that is impossible to gain just in the classroom.
As chapter events became more frequent, communication and member engagement became increasingly important. To help students stay informed and involved, the chapter launched the inaugural publishing of The Pumpjack Press, a monthly newsletter created to highlight chapter events, upcoming opportunities, and student accomplishments. The newsletter also spotlighted one student and one faculty member each month who had made meaningful contributions to either SPE or the energy industry. More than just a newsletter, it helped build a sense of community. Members could be kept up to date on events and be recognized for their hard work in progressing the chapter.
The momentum created by these events and opportunities naturally carried over into competitions and technical challenges. For the first time in chapter history, UTulsa participated in both the EnergyThon competition and the Tenaska Case Challenge. These events gave students opportunities to apply technical knowledge, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills in highly competitive environments. Completing these challenges demonstrates what great students can create when they push themselves outside the classroom.
One of the defining characteristics of the chapter’s resurgence was the positive feedback loop created by member involvement. As participation increased, it encouraged even greater involvement from members and further strengthened the organization. As more students became involved, the organization's culture shifted. Students began to see SPE not only as a professional organization but also as a community that actively invested in their success. The increase in involvement allowed the chapter to become one unified group.
That momentum continued at 2026 NASS, hosted at LSU, where UTulsa brought the largest student delegation of any university attending the conference. Formerly designated as a “small” chapter by SPE, UTulsa bringing the largest delegation to NASS was a sign to SPE student chapters across North America of the resurgence of the SPE UTulsa Student Chapter. Many members of the chapter took advantage of the opportunities at NASS. From asking economists like Gregory B. Upton Jr. about the future of energy demand to learning how rate transient analysis works from Mathias Carlsen.
At NASS, UTulsa shared many of the strategies that helped revitalize the chapter. Members discussed how the organization focused on creating opportunities that allowed students to grow both professionally and personally. The chapter emphasized the importance of providing members with meaningful avenues for involvement while encouraging students to take initiative.
A unique key to UTulsa’s success this year was playing to its strengths. The chapter might be small, but they drew on the tight-knit community in Tulsa, their invested faculty members, and their connections to industry in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa area to bring great opportunities that matched their members' talent.
The resurgence of UTulsa demonstrates how much student organizations can accomplish when they prioritize engagement, opportunity, and community. By combining technical development, professional exposure, hands-on learning, and strong member involvement, the chapter once again transformed into a nationally competitive organization. While awards such as SPE Outstanding Regional Chapter and hosting NASS 2027 are major accomplishments, they also indicate something larger: a chapter culture built around helping students grow into future leaders of the energy industry. The foundation created this year in SPE UTulsa Student Chapter ensures that future students will continue to have opportunities to learn, lead, and succeed long after the current members graduate.
The SPE UTulsa Student Chapter is sponsored by the SPE Mid-Continent Section.
Kaden Davis, SPE, is pursuing a double major in mechanical engineering and petroleum engineering, with a minor in economics, at The University of Tulsa (UTulsa). He serves as treasurer of the SPE UTulsa Student Chapter and vice president of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. In both leadership roles, he has helped organize and execute events that strengthen members’ connections to the engineering and energy industries. During the summer of 2026, he will work for Continental Resources as a production engineering intern in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming.
As SPE UTulsa Chapter secretary, Ian Incledon, SPE, strives to support events any way he can logistically as well as through online outreach, often described as a dependable worker and friendly. Having just spent his first year at UTulsa, he took the opportunity to not only promote but attend every chapter event in pursuit of learning as much as possible with the oil and gas industry. He enjoys speaking with industry professionals, connecting with fellow students, and hopes to rise further in the SPE officer roles in the coming years. This summer he will be working for Hilcorp in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, where he hopes to continue learning even more.
Hutson Smith, SPE, is a petroleum engineering student at UTulsa and president of the SPE UTulsa Student Chapter. Under his leadership, the chapter was recognized as an SPE Regional Outstanding Student Chapter in North America and selected to host the 2027 SPE North America Student Symposium. He has completed two internships with Continental Resources, gaining field and engineering experience in production and facility-focused roles. He is passionate about student engagement, industry connection, and helping prepare the next generation of petroleum engineers.
Richard Kohn, SPE, is a junior petroleum engineering student and vice president of the SPE UTulsa Student Chapter. He previously served as social and membership chair, helping increase student involvement and engagement within SPE. He also interned with Hilcorp Energy Company, where he gained hands-on experience in field operations and production engineering, and is currently interning as a reservoir engineer at Hilcorp.
