The University of Houston American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Wildcatters student chapter hosted an event titled How to Get an Internship, offering students firsthand advice on securing and succeeding in energy industry internships.
The session featured Jose Gorosabel Araus, research associate in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS), who provided insider guidance on what companies seek in interns, strategies for interview preparation, and effective application techniques.
A panel of UH students also shared their experiences from internships with major energy companies during summer 2025, offering peer-to-peer perspectives on how classroom knowledge translates into real-world applications.
Held in person at the EAS Department, the session drew 31 participants, including undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, all engaged in geoscience and energy-related studies.
“The event gave students valuable insight into professional expectations and the diverse skill sets needed in today’s energy sector,” Gorosabel Araus said.
Student panelists discussed internship experiences ranging from basin modeling and seismic stratigraphy to reservoir characterization and machine learning applications.
The UH AAPG Wildcatters continue to bridge the gap between students and industry professionals by organizing technical talks, career-preparation workshops, short courses and field trips that prepare students for careers in petroleum geology and geophysics.
UH Students Highlight Summer Internship Achievements
Internship Highlights
- Jameson Hampton (M.S. Geology)
- ExxonMobil: Integrated machine learning into unconventional geomodeling to enhance well performance prediction.
- Thesis: Improving understanding of geologic controls of rare earth element deposits at Mountain Pass, California, using 3D geologic and geophysical modeling.
- Edgar Moreno (M.S. Geology)
- Devon Energy: Conducted well correlation and petroleum system characterization of Paleocene–Eocene wells in the United States.
- Thesis: Intraplate volcanism in the western Pacific seamount province.
- Michael Daniel (Ph.D. Geology)
- Ovintiv: Developed a seismic sequence stratigraphic framework for the eastern margin of the Midland Basin.
- Dissertation: Physical-scaled experiments, tomography, and magnetic anisotropy of mid-crustal ramps along the Main Himalayan Thrust Fault, western Nepal.
- Amberlee Enger (M.S. Geology)
- Continental Resources: Analyzed rock properties of an unconventional reservoir within the Anadarko Basin.
- Thesis: Using isotope geochemistry to constrain serpentinization and carbonation of oceanic crust, Tyrrhenian back-arc basin, Mediterranean Sea.
- Daniel Maya (Ph.D. Geology)
- TotalEnergies: Conducted integrated petroleum assessments of the Mesozoic U.S. Gulf region.
- Dissertation: Integrated basin modeling and geophysical assessments of deepwater hydrocarbon potential along the rifted margin of Uruguay.
- Nilay Gungor (Ph.D. Geosciences)
- Quantico Energy Solutions: Generated property volumes using QEarth by integrating 3D seismic cubes, well-log data and interpreted horizons for reservoir characterization.
- Dissertation: Seismic facies analysis and 3D reservoir characterization of Miocene–Pliocene deep-water sedimentary rocks in the offshore Mahanadi Basin, India.
- Joshua Miller (M.S. Geology)
- TotalEnergies: Developed analog models for predicting reservoirs in the offshore Santos Basin, Brazil.
- Thesis: 3D seismic stratigraphy and tectonic controls on contourite and turbidite sedimentation along the deepwater Atlantic margin of Uruguay.
- Breno Goldenberg Araujo (M.S. Geology)
- TotalEnergies: Mapped the deepwater, rifted passive margin of Angola.
- Thesis: Relative contributions of turbidites and contourites in a Pliocene deep-water drift deposit, offshore West Antarctica.
- Kenneth Shipper (Ph.D. Geophysics)
- Hilcorp: Evaluated oil and gas reserves from Late Miocene sands of the Caillou Island Field, offshore Louisiana.
- Dissertation: Regional maturation model for hydrocarbons along the Guyana–Suriname margin based on improved estimates of rifted lithosphere thickness and thermal structure.
- Estefani Ruiz Toro (M.S. Geology)
- TotalEnergies: Interpreted 2D and 3D seismic data from the forearc basin offshore Peru.
- Thesis: Crustal and basinal framework of the Bering Sea from potential fields and seismic reflection data.
- Md Upal Shahriar (M.S. Geology)
- Quantico Energy Solutions: Evaluated machine learning applications for subsurface characterization by integrating seismic, well-log and horizon data to improve reservoir prediction and reduce geologic uncertainty.
- Dissertation: Tectonostratigraphic framework and hydrocarbon prospectivity of the rifted margins of Mauritania, northwest Africa, and the Andaman Basin, India.
To learn more about the Wildcatters, visit the Student Organizations page on the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences website.