Curtin University Professor Brian Evans has received a prestigious international award, after boosting students graduating from petroleum engineering by nearly 10-fold over six years.
Professor Evans, Director of Oil and Gas Projects at Curtin, was awarded the global 2013 Faculty Pipeline Award for his contribution to expanding the number of students studying and graduating in the discipline of petroleum engineering, which saw numbers increase from 18 in 2007 to 175 in 2013.
The annual Faculty Pipeline Award was provided by the global Society of Petroleum Engineering to recognise those who taught petroleum engineering and had made the greatest global contribution to the education and training of future petroleum engineers.
“Brian has been instrumental in establishing Curtin’s first Bachelor of Engineering (Petroleum Engineering), as well as expanding the Master of Petroleum Engineering program and introducing a new master’s program for international students,” Professor Moses Tade, Curtin’s Dean of Engineering, said.
“In addition, he expanded the research base, particularly in petroleum geomechanics and shale gas studies and has now led the introduction of yet another master’s program, the Master of Subsea Engineering, following high industry demand.
“This year, we have 50 petroleum engineering undergraduates entering second year which is the highest number of second-year petroleum engineering students of any university in the Southern Hemisphere.
“Professor Evans is well-deserving of this award, and I look forward to seeing this area of Curtin Engineering continue to scale new heights.”
Professor Evans said he was honoured and humbled to have his contribution recognised and eager to continue his work with the new Master of Subsea Engineering, commencing 2014.
“As projects relying on subsea systems and floating liquefied natural gas facilities increase, the need for professionals to meet the many challenges that exist in the harsh and extreme environment on the deep water sea beds has also increased,” Professor Evans said.
“I am proud to see Curtin become the first university in Australia and New Zealand to produce graduates who will help develop future technologies for the highly complex field of subsea engineering.”
The Society of Petroleum Engineering (SPE) is the main body representing the petroleum engineering profession around the world.
In 2012 it commenced the Faculty Pipeline Award, to recognise those who taught petroleum engineering at universities, and had made the greatest global contribution to the education and training of future petroleum engineers.
Prize winners are awarded US$10,000 at the SPE International Conference during September in New Orleans.
Curtin was recently announced as a partner in a new National Floating Systems Research Centre, as part of an Oil & Gas Innovation Partnership, which will have its headquarters in Perth.
The new centre will continue the progress that has Australia poised to become the first country in the world to deploy floating liquefied natural gas technology.
