Master of Petroleum Economics and Management
December 2015

École Nationale Supérieure du Pétrole et des Moteurs, better known as IFP School, is a part of IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN) and located and Rueil-Malmaison, France. Established as The French Institute of Petroleum in 1924, IFPEN is a public research and training institution internationally focused in the fields of energy, transport and the environment. 

IFP School is a French "grandes écoles" and thus is one of the most elite and selective educational opportunities in France. It is well established as a European leader in petroleum education and delivers a top tier petroleum education program globally.

The Petroleum Economics and Management (PEM) program  included 47 students representing 18 nations. Classes were organized in intensely collaborative interdisciplinary teams that blended business and engineering backgrounds.

Partnering with universities such as The Colorado School of Mines, The University of Alberta, and BI Norwegian Business School, the PEM program offers a unique blend of engineering and business courses. 

My studies here included engineering components in Reservoir Engineering and Refining, energy courses in Upstream Management and Evaluation of Projects, as well as advanced quantitative training in Efficiency Analysis and Decision Sciences. 

The program was unique, in that most of the courses were taught primarily by industry experts and professionals. As a student I was allowed opportunities to hear directly from Total CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Maria van der Hoeven, Former Peruvian Minister of Energy Eleodoro Mayorga, and many others. With dozens of case studies and scores of required presentations, the classroom squarely placed the students in training for executive decision making.

Master of Business Administration
December 2015
Dual Concentrations in Risk Management and Energy

The Michael F. Price College of Business in Norman, Oklahoma was ranked among the top ten graduate business programs in the nation by CollegeAtlas.org in 2014.  The class included 36 students, 30% international students, and varied professional backgrounds in the fields of energy, investment banking, law, and engineering.

Building upon the University of Oklahoma’s century-long global energy legacy and leadership, the Price College of Business developed an energy-concentrated MBA program with a rigorous academic schedule.  The program combines an extensive case-based curriculum focused on team building and leadership while emphasizing the development of communication and presentation skills.

Courses within the program include Energy Upstream and Downstream, Energy Assets and Commodities, and Energy Valuation M&A and Divestitures.  This program provides a comprehensive energy finance education to prepare leaders for the oil and gas industry.

In addition to the courses taken, I participated in Teams Training and Support research sponsored by the JCPenny Leadership Academy.  The 14-week study included comprehensive assessments of team member effectiveness, team training, and individual feedback and support.  While the research focused on the factors leading to successful teams and outcomes, the participants gained insightful and practical experience in team management, successful organization, goal accomplishment and conflict resolution.

While at the University of Oklahoma I was a Russel and Margaret Frakes Scholar as well as a Cathryn L. and Jon R. Withrow Scholar.

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Major in Finance

The Collins College of Business is consistently among the top business schools in the nation as ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek. Located in the heart of America's oil and gas industry in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa educates using world class research, proven application, and social responsibility.

The finance program included studies in Risk Management, Investment Portfolio Management, and Working Capital Management.  One of the best learning experiences included participation in the Student Investment Fund.  Today the fund comprises more than $4 million in financial assets.  The student led and managed portfolio includes in-depth security analysis, portfolio optimization and portfolio balancing.  The security analysis paper I authored analyzed the macroeconomic environment, health care sector, and a specific investigation into the security Myriad Genetics. Using historic, relative, and intrinsic valuation techniques, I prepared a strategic buy-side report which included a Student Investment Fund portfolio impact study and sensitivity analysis. This paper was very well received and purchased by the University of Tulsa, published and printed as a portion of required course material. 

While attending the University of Tulsa, I became a ConocoPhillips SPIRIT Scholar, Financial Executive International Scholar, held executive leadership positions in the Student Finance Association, served on the Student Association Judicial Council, and was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society for business excellence. This strive for excellence was best recognized when I was awarded the Faculty Medal of Honor, given to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative grade point average.

Dunham Scholar Independent Study

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is one of the most selective and prestigious universities internationally. Combining world-class researchers with a diverse and accomplished student body, LSE delivers a truly unique and elite educational experience. 

I was privileged to be accepted to and attend classes at LSE in Competitive Strategy and Game Theory. These courses first focus on mathematical modeling techniques of conflict and cooperation decision-making between rational and intelligent parties. The latter part of the courses focuses on application of these techniques to business situations, market design, and research and development. 

The true value of these studies stems from the direct application and analysis of strategic decision-making within organizations both at the business and corporate levels - thus providing a broad framework for anticipating competitor actions and responses in competitive industries.