Drilling Professor is Making Waves by Brett Clanton, Houston Chronicle 10/02/2009
No matter how big the oil company or smart the scientists they employ, drilling for oil in the deepest waters of the Gulf of Mexico may always be a gamble. Little by little, however, Arthur Weglein is helping to improve the odds.

UH on Its Way to Becoming an 'Energy University' by Jeannie Kever, Houston Chronicle 7/27/2009
Like countless people before her, Chandani Rajapaksha came to Houston to work in the energy business. But she's not interested in oil or natural gas. Rajapaksha, a graduate student in physics, is working on the next generation of solar cells at the University of Houston, attracted by the possibility of safeguarding the planet.

V&E Partner Carol Dinkins Joins UH Energy Advisory Board
Carol E. Dinkins, a partner in the Houston office of the international law firm of Vinson & Elkins LLP and one of the best environmental litigators in the country, will join the newly formed UH Energy Advisory Board that brings together global industry leaders.

Bruker Energy, Supercon Technologies to Collaborate with UH
Bruker Energy and Supercon Technologies Inc. (BEST), a division of Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR), has entered into a sponsored research agreement with the University of Houston, focusing on the testing and characterization of its second-generation (2G) high-temperature superconductor tapes.

New Petroleum Engineering Degree to Begin in Fall
At the University of Houston, a bachelor’s degree plan in petroleum engineering will be offered in fall 2009 to help replenish the industry’s aging work force. The Society of Petroleum Engineers projects 40 percent of the industry’s work force will reach retirement age next year. That, coupled with growth in the industry and a national decline in the number of students pursuing degrees in technical fields, has businesses scrambling for talent.


Carbon Trading Course at Bauer College
Students at the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business will get a firsthand look at the trading, legal, market design and policy aspects of carbon trading in an innovative course that began in spring 2009. The class, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, comes at a time when U.S. energy firms are gearing up for a need for traders, lawyers and business people who will work in evolving fields connected with projected emission-reduction regulations.


Donation from British Petroleum
The University of Houston’s commitment to green initiatives received a welcome boost from BP America, through its donation of an environmentally friendly solar utility vehicle, part of a $300,000 donation to the university in support of research and student success.


Fuel Cell Research Recognized
The National Science Foundation recently highlighted fuel cell catalyst research being conducted by an assistant professor in the UH Cullen College of Engineering. Research being done by Peter Strasser was one of four noted in the environmental engineering and sustainability category.


Geophysicists Finding Tomorrow’s Energy Solutions
Rob Stewart, a prominent researcher who applies his geological expertise in fields as diverse as space exploration and archeology, is among a handful of recent geosciences faculty recruits who will transform UH into a world leader for energy research. These geophysicists – whose work could unlock new oil and gas deposits deep beneath the Earth’s surface – are at the forefront of a university wide initiative to find tomorrow’s energy solutions.


UH Energy Program at the University of Capetown
More than a dozen new homegrown petroleum geophysicists are ready to enter the oil industry in South Africa thanks to a University of Houston program at the University of Cape Town. UH has long been known as an international energy educator, with cooperative programs from China to South America. Now, South Africa joins the list as well, with UH completing its first petroleum geophysics master’s program in Africa.


Green Building
The University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture is primed to sharpen and green the cutting edge of design and architecture with the new UH Green Building Components, the college’s research initiative to design, develop and implement sustainable, renewable building components for the architecture, engineering and construction industries.


University of Houston Wind-Power Testing Site Approved for Design
The University of Houston has completed an agreement with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to design, construct and operate a state-of-the-art wind turbine blade testing facility at Ingleside, Texas.