Rod Nelson, a vice president for Schlumberger Ltd., has joined the University of Houston's Energy Advisory Board, a panel of global leaders in the fields of energy development, management and implementation.
Nelson is vice president of Communications as well as Innovation and Collaboration at Schlumberger, the leading oilfield services provider based in Houston.
"Our board is made up of acknowledged industry leaders and I am delighted that Rod has accepted my invitation to join this important group of advisors," said UH President Renu Khator. "The expert guidance of our UH Energy board members is vital to our mission of becoming ‘The Energy University.'"
UH has identified energy as a key strategic focus for faculty research and innovation. As part of that initiative it established UH Energy, a collection of top UH researchers from engineering, law, business, geosciences and technology. These researchers are focused on shaping energy policy, forging new business approaches and educating the next generation of energy innovators.
The UH Energy Advisory Board focuses on strategic planning and external coordination of the research projects developed at the university.
"I am honored to join the UH Energy Advisory Board. I look forward to working with other board members and helping UH Energy develop innovative ways to take its research projects from the laboratory to the marketplace," Nelson said. "UH is a key resource for the energy industry and the Houston area, and I am delighted to help the administration continue and expand its efforts to align its resources with the energy industry's research and workforce needs."
At Schlumberger, Nelson is responsible for all internal and external communications and identifies external technologies and innovations applicable to the oil and gas industry. Prior to this position he was vice president of Strategic Marketing for Schlumberger.
In previous positions, Nelson served as vice president of Marketing for oilfield services products and services and president of Schlumberger Data and Consulting Services (DCS), where he directed operations of the industry's largest data processing and geotechnical consulting organization for clients worldwide.
Nelson also served as vice president of Marketing for the Schlumberger Reservoir Management group and vice president of Marketing and Product Development of the Schlumberger Wireline segment based in Paris.
He joined Schlumberger as a wireline field engineer in 1980 and later worked as a petrophysicist and then Wireline operations manager. He has a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Wisconsin and an executive MBA from MIT.
Nelson led the technology task group for the 2007 landmark National Petroleum Council's global oil and gas study "Facing the Hard Truths About Energy."
He currently serves on a number of joint industry steering committees and boards, including the corporate advisory boards of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Stanford Global Climate and Energy Program. Active in the Houston-area community, he is on the board of directors of the Greater Houston Partnership and the Fort Bend Education Foundation.
Learn more about UH Energy and the Board of Advisors at http://www.uh.edu/uh-energy/index.php
For more information, contact Laura Tolley at ljtolley@uh.edu or 713-743-0778