Endowments Benefit OU Colleges of Education, Engineering; Honor Memory of Dr. Kent Thomas

-
The Thomas family, in honor of their family’s patriarch, who passed away in May 2020, have established The Dr. L. Kent Thomas AIM Fund to support the advancement, innovation and mentoring of graduate students. The $170,000 gift to the University of Oklahoma Foundation establishes two endowments—one in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, where Kent’s wife, Kayleen, earned her bachelor’s degree, and another in the Gallogly College of Engineering.

“I am very grateful that Dr. Thomas’ family has chosen to honor him in a way that supports graduate students in the Gallogly College of Engineering,” said Dean John Klier. “The legacy of his life will be realized by the accomplishments of these students.”

Dr. Thomas was born and raised in Miami, Oklahoma, where he attended Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College before earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from OU in 1962, followed by a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

In 1966, Thomas began his career with Phillips 66 as a reservoir engineering analyst in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. During his 40-year career, he and his family lived 15 months on assignment for Phillips in Caracas, Venezuela. Upon his return to the States, he was promoted to manager of engineering sciences and tasked to develop reservoir simulation software, which was instrumental in projects that included Ekofisk in the North Sea and consultation with field engineers.

Thomas had a productive and prestigious career, authoring or co-authoring more than 50 technical papers, serving in many leadership roles within the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and lecturing worldwide in 1995 and 1996.

Thomas’ recognitions include:
1993 - Society of Petroleum Engineers Reservoir Engineering Award, in recognition of his major contributions to reservoir simulation technology

2002 - Robert Earll McConnell Award from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, in recognition of beneficial service to mankind by engineers through significant contributions that tend to advance the nation’s standard of living or replenish its natural resources

2006 - ConocoPhillips Technology Innovation Award in Houston for a lifetime of achievement for excellence in reservoir engineering, as demonstrated by his countless awards, recognition and professional contributions, including numerous reservoir engineering simulators and their application in the field

2012 - Society of Petroleum Engineers and American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers Honorary Member Award

2016 - National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional honors accorded to an engineer who has distinguished themselves in business and academic management, in technical positions, as university faculty, and as leaders in government and private engineering organizations

“The AIM Fund is not only a way to continue my dad's legacy, but it is also hope for the next generation and a means to prove that if you have the passion and the patience to educate yourself in your area of interest, you can achieve anything you wish. My dad mentored students and colleagues throughout his career from different cultures and backgrounds, with many of them becoming lifelong friends. He would be so proud to know that this contribution will allow others to do the same,” said his daughter, Jana Thomas-Roach.



 

###

 


Popular posts from this blog

OU Engineering Welcomes 14 New Faculty Members for 2023-24

-
Image
OU Engineering has welcomed 14 new faculty members for the 2023-24 academic year. This marks a milestone in the college's growth journey, with faculty numbers increasing from just over 100 in 2017 to 175 in 2023. OU Engineering is committed to expanding its faculty ranks, aiming for over 200 faculty members by the 2025-26 academic year, says OU Engineering Dean John Klier. To achieve this goal, the college has initiated more than 20 faculty searches. The State of Oklahoma continues to acknowledge the need for more engineers. They recently responded to OU Engineering’s request for additional recurring funding. The funding will play a crucial role in offering undergraduate student tuition waivers, supporting graduate students and helping recruit new faculty and staff. These positions will be phased in over the next three years. "OU Engineering extends its gratitude for the ongoing support from the State of Oklahoma as it continues to address the growing demand for engineers,&quo
Read more

OU Engineering 1 of 28 Teams Nationwide to Receive DEPSCoR Grant

-
Image
University of Oklahoma engineering researcher Reza Foudazi, Ph.D., has been selected to receive a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense under the Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or DEPSCoR. The highly competitive grant was awarded to only 28 academic teams nationwide.  An associate professor in the School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, Foudazi’s research centers on the exploration of electrochemical energy storage systems that incorporate multivalent ions. He says the systems are of interest due to their potential for higher energy density when compared to conventional lithium-based systems.  “We are dedicated to advancing the field of electrochemical energy storage. The primary goal of this research is to understand the fundamental design principles behind nanostructured thermoresponsive electrolytes for multivalent ions,” Foudazi said.  Foudazi's team will produce ionogel electrolytes by using block copol
Read more

OU Engineering Students Shine in Community Projects

-
Image
At the University of Oklahoma, a transformative course called Pathways to Engineering Thinking is leaving a mark on OU students and the community. In the first-year engineering course, over 800 students across 16 sections collaborated to tackle real-world challenges presented by community partners. Their projects ranged from developing prosthetic limbs for injured animals to creating innovative solutions for community gardens and zoos. The course aims to guide students through the engineering design process, emphasizing collaborative teamwork and problem-solving skills.  This semester’s projects reached many areas of the community. Partnerships with the OU Food Pantry, OU Community Garden, Oklahoma City Zoo, OU Engineering K-12 Outreach, a local dog rescue and the City of Norman provided students with real-world challenges to address. Each team delved into issues presented by the partners, working toward delivering functional design solutions by the semester’s end. The heart of the cou
Read more