About the Award
The Outstanding Young Professional Award is presented to a person with less than five years of experience who has made significant contributions to the industry through volunteering to AAPG, RMS-AAPG or RMS-AAPG affiliated society or by scientific achievement including publication, presentation, or other contributions to geology. This award was first presented in 2015.
Previous Winners
2024
Ryan Gall has completed exceptional research on Utah’s Green River Formation and Mancos Shale, resulting in well received presentations and publications. He has also helped organize field trips to the Uinta Basin for multiple organizations including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Utah Geologic Association (UGA), has been an active member and officer of the UGA, mentored geology students, and served as an active participant on career panels. He passed the ASGOG tests and quickly became a Professional Geologist in the State of Utah. Ryan has also displayed strong work ethic, dedication to the advancement of geologic knowledge, and is always curious, looking to solve hard geologic problems.
2023
Chioma Onwumelu is the winner of the 2023 RMS-AAPG Outstanding Young Professional Award for her significant contributions to the geoscience community through her volunteerism. Even early in her career, Chioma has demonstrated unwavering dedication, strong leadership abilities, and deep passion for her field. She has played a crucial role within AAPG RMS as the Student Chapter Coordinator and Young Professional Representative, spearheading the establishment of the AAPG Student Chapter at the University of North Dakota (UND) and providing invaluable mentorship and support to students. Chioma’s efforts to organize events and initiatives that promote professional development and networking opportunities have been commendable. Moreover, she has displayed exceptional leadership as the RMS delegate for the AWG, fostering growth and engagement in the region. Chioma’s commitment extends beyond AAPG, as she has volunteered for numerous professional organizations such as SEG, GSA, SEPM, GR, and SPE. Her active involvement in the AAPG Women’s Network, where she serves as the Secretary, demonstrates her dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion in the geoscience community. Chioma’s research on the Bakken Formation in the Williston Basin, focusing on unconventional resource plays, has been exemplary. She has completed and co-published several research projects in this area, significantly advancing our understanding of this complex geological system. Her presentations at conferences and willingness to share her knowledge have positively influenced the field. Overall, Chioma Onwumelu is an exceptional young professional who has made remarkable contributions to the geoscience community through her leadership, advocacy, and groundbreaking research.
2022
Nate La Fontaine, an AAPG member since 2014, has made significant contributions to the geoscience community. He was an active member of the University of Montana’s AAPG Student Chapter, serving as president for the 2016-17 academic year and leading the university’s Imperial Barrel Award (IBA) team, taking 3rd place in the regional competition. Nate also received the best student paper award for his presentation on the Wall Creek Member of the Frontier Formation at the 2017 Annual RMS AAPG meeting. After joining SM Energy in Denver in 2018, Nate became an active contributor to RMAG, joining the Publications Committee where he currently serves as the editor of the Outcrop, the Association’s seminal monthly newsletter. Drawing from his IBA experience, in 2020 he became a coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Section’s annual IBA competition. Whether it be at SM Energy where Nate is the geologic lead for machine-learning based workflows used to predict reservoir performance in the Permian Basin, or as an RMAG volunteer, Nate consistently demonstrates reliability and unwavering dedication to his work as a geoscientist.
2021
Clayton Schultz is an exemplary young professional in the AAPG RMS. Clayton is active in the geologic technical community, he volunteers in his local geological community, and he is a role model and stand-out geologist in his professional role. Clayton received his MSc from University of Montana in 2016. While there, Clayton was active in the AAPG Student Chapter and was a member of the winning AAPG RMS IBA team in 2015. In 2016 Clayton went to work for SM Energy in Houston, TX and was transferred to Denver in early 2019, and has held several roles, currently as a Geomodeler. In 2019, Clayton published Diagenesis of the Sappington Formation in the Bridger Range, Montana: implications for the burial and thermal history of the western Crazy Mountain Basin in the Mountain Geologist. This year, Clayton published Facies, stratigraphic architecture, and faults – The controls on cement distribution in the Devonian Sappington Formation in southwestern Montana, in Marine and Petroleum Geology. Clayton presented his work at AAPG 2015 in Denver, AAPG ACE 2016 in Calgary, and the AAPG RMS Meeting in 2017 in Billings. Clayton won the SEPM Most Outstanding Poster for his poster presentation at AAPG ACE in 2016. Clayton currently serves as a Co-Coordinator for the RMS IBA Competition, is an editor of the RMAG Mountain Geologist, and volunteers on the RMAG Publications Committee. Clayton is an honest, good-natured, positive person. Even early in his career, Clayton has made significant contributions to the industry.
2020
As a young professional, has taken on several positions and tasks that are usually not considered by individuals at her age due to lack of experience. Emily not only volunteered but she excelled at these roles. This includes planning, organizing, and conducting several field trips for the 2019 RMS–AAPG meeting with minimal oversight and guidance. She is currently serving as President Elect for the Wyoming Geological Association and helping this Association transition into a more modern and streamlined system. She was fast tracked to this position because of her ability and motivation.
2019
After moving to Montana to work as an Assistant Professor of Earth Science at Montana State University in Billings, Sarah Friedman quickly joined the Montana Geological Society (MGS). She has served in various board positions and is currently the MGS President. Sarah has become known for her enthusiasm and dedication to engaging members, the public, and students “with the geology that surrounds them everyday.” Her letters in the MGS newsletter focus on her students and volunteer activities and encourage other MGS members to get involved with science outreach. Young professionals like Sarah ensure that our geologic societies continue to thrive.
2018
Over the last two years, Anita Thapalia (left) has demonstrated the energy and passion to strengthen and serve local geology-related organizations. She has volunteered her time and expertise to the New Grad Society Technical Committee, Junior Achievement as part of the Job Shadow Program, served as a Science Mentor for the Urban Advantage Science Celebration, participated in Encana’s “Encircle” mentoring program, and served as a Session Chair at the AAPG ACE in Salt Lake City (2018). Moreover, Anita has made at least two important technical contributions while at Encana in her first year of a multi-year geochemistry assignment. She developed and validated a means of using inexpensive and easily obtained XRF elemental data to accurately estimate rock mineralogy and TOC. She also initiated the development of a produced oil library for Encana’s Eagle Ford and San Juan asset teams to unravel sourcing and drainage of unconventional reservoir intervals. Anita currently serves and Encana’s Data Steward for the Eagle Ford and San Juan oil libraries.
2017
Anna Phelps’s participation and volunteerism in the RMS-AAPG, Montana Geological Society, and local schools in Billings and Denver can be summed up with one simple word: “Driven.” Although she has less than two years under her belt, Anna has hit the ground running and seeks out any sort of volunteering opportunity she can. In addition to awards and research grants in school, Anna served on the 2015 winning IBA team for the RMS with the University of Montana. She wrote a paper on the Devonian/Mississippian Sappington Formation of the Bridger Range, MT, which is currently in press with the AAPG Bulletin. She currently sits as co-chair of the RMS-AAPG IBA competition and is the Publicity Chair for the 2017 RMS AAPG Meeting. In addition, she founded a networking group for young technical professionals at her employing company, SM Energy, served on the awards committee and educational outreach committees for the Montana Geological Society, as well as on the STEM Billings Business Advisory Council. She also continuously volunteers with STEM, science fairs, and Girls in Science events in Montana and Colorado, and recently joined the RMAG Mentorship Program. With young professionals like Anna serving in our industry, the future looks very bright indeed.
2016
Marron Bingle-Davis started her career as a petroleum geologist when she joined Sunshine Valley Petroleum Corporation in 2011. She primarily works on Wyoming projects, with a specific focus on historic fields within the Powder River Basin. From the very start of her career, Marron has been an active volunteer with the Wyoming Geological Association (WGA). She served on the WGA Field Conference committee in 2013, 2014, and 2015 and was the committee chair in 2015 and editor of the 2015 Guidebook. She was the Core Workshop Committee Chair in 2015 and 2016. In addition, she served as Vice President of the WGA in 2013 and 2014 and is the current President of WGA. Volunteers like Marron Bingle-Davis make our societies great and the Rocky Mountain Section of AAPG would like to show our appreciation of her enthusiastic and diligent contributions with the RMS-AAPG Outstanding Young Professional Award.
2015
Kassandra L. Sendziak (Anadarko Petroleum Company) was presented the Outstanding Young Professional Award. This year, the first year this award has been presented. Ms. Sendziak is a take charge type of person that gets the job done, both at work and in her volunteering. She was selected for this award in recognition of her presentations at several AAPG ACE meetings in addition to her service to the AAPG and the RMS-AAPG on the organizing committees for the annual meetings.
President Sue Cluff presents Outstanding Young Professional Award to Kassie Sendziak.