SPE 2017-2018
Officer Candidate
Profile
President
Meet the Candidates
"Don’t call it a dream. Call it a plan."
Jordan Argamany
President
Class of 2018 Motivation Throughout my time thus far in this department, I have been afforded many
opportunities and received invaluable guidance from faculty and fellow
students alike. As SPE President, I will pay it forward and share what I’ve
learned to help fellow SPE members. Serving as the current SPE Secretary, I
experienced the challenging learning curves during officer transitions and
aim to outline the long-term goals of the organization in order to maximize
efficiency in the execution of future SPE events by the next officer team.
Involvement SPE Executive Officer
Secretary Spring 2016—Present
SPE Presidential delegated tasks:
o Led weekly officer meetings and analyzed past SPE events for performance improvements
o Created meeting agendas regarding future SPE events and funding allocations
o Secured funding from SEC for Fall 2017 multi-organizational soft skills workshop
o Represented SPE at the welcome event for Class of 2019 PETE majors
Amended the TAMU SPE constitution to create a 6th officer position
o Reallocated officer duties in order to maximize efficiency amongst the officer team
Reviewed monthly chapter committee reports
o Will be used to compile the annual report for SPE International student chapter awards
Established SPE Mentorship Committee and assisted in the development of the Student Mentorship Program
Maintained weekly chapter communication with over 1200 members
o Coordinated event marketing efforts in conjunction with the SPE Media committee
Represented TAMU SPE at ATCE 2016 in Dubai
Vision for the Coming Year Engineers can only be as effective as the tools at their disposal. The success of every generation of Aggie Engineers is
ground in having a broad range of skillsets, both technical and professional. As SPE President, I plan to have more
industry professionals provide training programs that can further distinguish the qualifications and capabilities of our
members. Lastly, with the collective efforts of the executive officer team, I hope to create an unprecedented amount of
opportunities for Aggie Petroleum Engineers and to make it enjoyable for every member along the way.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer The most critical factor of the success of an organization is to motivate its members to carry out its central vision. With
such a large number of members, each with unique ideas and interests, one of the biggest challenges of TAMU SPE is to
align the goals of its members and provide opportunities for its members to achieve those goals. As a unified whole, the
organization can execute a vision that is more effective than the summation of its individual ideas.
Meet the Candidates
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
William Nelson
President
Class of 2018 Motivation During my time at Texas A&M University, I have come to love and appreciate
the Aggie core values and the integral part they play in TAMU-SPE. My
motivation to run for office is embodied by my desire to maintain the integrity
and enhance the technical and professional competence of our outstanding
student chapter, while upholding the Aggie core values. I am excited for the
opportunity to employ the skills, dedication, and passion that I have developed
over the three years of involvement and leadership in SPE to help advance the
excellence of the chapter by serving as President.
Involvement Director, Recruitment Committee Fall 2016—Present
My goal is to work diligently to actively recruit and encourage participation within SPE.
The committee has been able to achieve this goal by initiating participation in the MSC Open House, hosting the
annual Galveston Rig Trip, representing TAMU-SPE at the Annual SPE-GCS Memorial High College Fair,
educating freshman students through continued Freshman Seminars and tirelessly conducting tours of the
Richardson building for prospective students.
I also had the privilege of being a mentor for the newly formed SPE mentorship program.
Member, Recruitment Committee Fall 2015—Spring 2016
As a sophomore, I served as a dedicated member of the Recruitment Committee. I was able to work closely with
the committee leadership and learn how to effectively encourage prospective students to become involved in
SPE. This position allowed me to grow professionally and transition into my current leadership role.
Vision for the Coming Year I will work to grow and diversify TAMU-SPE’s professional network. I plan to do this by creating a database and
fostering a beneficial relationship with graduating and recently graduated Texas A&M Petroleum Engineers. This will
help current students better prepare for the transition into industry and aid in the funding of special events. Furthermore,
I plan to grow the chapter’s network by creating a more welcoming environment for incoming sophomore Petroleum
Engineering students. The College of Engineering has undergone a transition that greatly affects us, and it needs special
attention to maintain the excellence of SPE.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer The biggest challenge for an officer is communicating effectively. It is critical for the officer team to concisely
communicate with members, committees, leadership, department faculty, alumni, and industry representatives. Without
this communication, TAMU-SPE would not be able to fulfill its purpose of developing technical competency. I plan to
overcome this challenge by working closely with my fellow leaders to develop open communication between the entire
chapter and the officer team. This open channel of communication will allow us to surpass any other challenges that the
future officer team may face.
Vice President
External
Meet the Candidates
"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do." - Lewis Cass
Ravi Lad
Vice President External
Class of 2018 Motivation My motivation for the position primarily comes from two places: (1) A desire to
prove that a market downturn does not mean defeat, but rather a challenge—an
opportunity for our members to grow as professionals such that they succeed in
their endeavors, regardless of a commodity price tag; and (2) To get the chance
to help in creating more tangible opportunities for our students to learn, interact,
socialize and network.
Involvement Outreach Committee
Director Fall 2016—Present
Managed committee activity and its members
Reached out to teachers in both B/CS school districts, as well as companies and organizations to jointly
host/sponsor events such as energy discussions, school presentations and STEM fairs
TAMU SPE Student Mentorship Program
Co-Chair Fall 2016—Present
Overseeing committee outreach by composing mentee application and establishing relationships with the broader
oil & gas community
Recruitment Committee
Member Fall 2015—Spring 2016
Composed a “guide for tour guides” document for present and future committee members
Led department tours and volunteering for Aggieland Saturday
Vision for the Coming Year I would like to see our chapter accomplish three items: (1) I want to help create a significant increase in the number of
students hired for internship and full-time opportunities by holding more networking events and supporting the new
mentorship program, (2) I want to help create, maintain, and foster our organization’s industry and professional contacts
such that SPE’s events are reliably funded, (3) I want to help create new event opportunities for students, for example a
field trip to a local operational pumping unit. Given my experience in working with the external community through
Recruitment, Mentorship, and Outreach, I am confident that I can help our chapter attain these goals in the coming year.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer The most difficult task of being an officer I expect will be to successfully help each and every student get their voice
heard. SPE is an organization built by its members, and therefore it should remain a priority that the organization does
exactly what the members want. Though a daunting challenge, I will do my part to reach out to the SPE membership in
person, over the phone, at events, etc and ensure that their (your) thoughts and opinions get translated into tangible action
and results.
Meet the Candidates
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." - Napoleon Hill
Mohammad Abbas
Vice President External
Class of 2019 Motivation The motivation behind running for this position is to overcome the challenges we
face as Petroleum Engineers and a shared vision to connect the internal members of
the society with the outside industry at a larger scale.
Involvement Conference Committee
Member Fall 2016—Present
Worked with the director of our committee during the months of Sept-Dec to organize and evaluate different
options and flights for the SPE Student Symposium held in Denver, Colorado
Participated in Company/Student Lunch and Learns, General Meetings and dinner at Fox & Hound
Vision for the Coming Year My vision for TAMU-SPE for this coming year is to keep an updated resume book for the students and to connect them
directly with the industry and companies. Also, ensuring sponsorships for all SPE events such as general meetings and
lunch and learns will be a big part of my vision as the External Vice President.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer In my opinion, the biggest challenge of being an officer will be ensuring the proper time commitment along with
working with different types of people with busy schedules. With that being said, I believe challenges can be easily
overcome if faced properly and with the right mindset.
Vice President
Internal
Meet the Candidates
"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." - Wayne Dyer
Alan Shepstone
Vice President Internal
Class of 2018 Motivation I feel that I am an excellent choice for VP Internal as I will work diligently
to continue the success of the chapter. I want all of our members and
committees to continue to flourish, since they make the chapter's activities
successful. Since assuming a committee leadership role, I have become
privy to most of the internal workings of the chapter and understand how to
improve it.
Involvement Hospitality & Tailgating Committee
Co-Chair Spring 2016—Present
Assisted with ordering food for General Meeting and Lunch & Learns to ensure proper monetary procedures are
followed
Helped coordinate with companies and other committees in our efforts to ensure events run smoothly
Member Fall 2015—Spring 2016
Assisted with setting up tailgates and food at hospitality
Attended General Meeting and various chapter events
Vision for the Coming Year I would like to see the chapter continue growing in quality and advancement opportunities. In this time of continuing
recovery, it is important to stand out in a crowded and competitive industry. As VP Internal, I will help the leadership
teams and members by working together to proactively solve problems that may arise and respond quickly and
effectively to deal with any challenges faced by the chapter.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer In my opinion, the largest challenge of being an officer of the chapter is the time commitment required to effectively
perform at and beyond the required duties. However, this time requirement can be overcome through a diligent work
ethic and good organizational skills, both of which I feel I am in possession of and intend to improve on, regardless.
Meet the Candidates
"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress;
working together is success." - Henry Ford
Miranda Jones
Vice President Internal
Class of 2018 Motivation My primary motivation for running for Vice President Internal is to seize
the opportunity to utilize my talents to serve in an active role in the growth,
development, and operations of the TAMU-SPE Student Chapter.
Additionally, I have a motivation to continue to develop myself
professionally through this role and surround myself with passionate, hard-
working students that have similar goals to my own. I believe that I have
the experience, the organizational, professional, and leadership skills, and
the dedication to empower the leaders and members of our exceptional
chapter.
Involvement Merchandise Committee
Co-Chair Fall 2014—Present
Ordering, packaging and distributing merchandise required significant organizational skills, alumni interaction,
dedication, and many long hours and fueled my passion for SPE through promotion of our prestigious chapter.
Recruitment Committee
Assisted in planning and hosting recruitment events for high school and freshman prospective petroleum
engineering students and gave department tours and presentations to prospective students and their parents
TAMU SPE Student Mentorship Program
Provided resume expertise and career fair/interview guidance and continued to offer assistance through a
successful recruiting season and academic semester
Vision for the Coming Year I want to focus on a vision that applies specifically to the role of Vice President Internal. I have a vision to develop the
leaders of our chapter into such a well-oiled machine that the standard, although still critical, duties of our committees
become second nature. This will allow our leaders to devote a more significant portion of their time and talent to
developing new ideas for their committees and creating growth of the chapter. I will be able to lead a carefully selected
group of board chairs in empowering their committees. I have a desire to better define the leadership roles within SPE,
especially co-chair roles, and establish organized, structured training for the SPE members that fill these roles to
empower them to advance the Texas A&M University SPE Student chapter to unprecedented levels.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer The role of SPE officer requires even more than talent, dedication, and time. It requires a complete giving of self: the
Aggie core value of selfless service, I think the biggest challenge that the officer team will face is putting the good of the
organization and the members above personal goals and aspirations. I am very passionate about servant leadership and
believe that overcoming the challenge of sacrificing our own interests for the betterment of the society and members will
provide a firm foundation for extraordinary growth of our student chapter.
Treasurer
Meet the Candidates
"Where there is a will, there is a way."
Yunan Li
Treasurer
Class of 2018 Motivation I had relevant experience with TAMU study abroad program
in 2015 in Beijing and I was in charge of the budget as well as
money management issue. I have also done similar job when I
was one of the representatives of SPE student chapter in
China. Additionally, I have my own code to apply machine
learning technique to summarize, analyze, and roughly predict
the data of incoming and outgoing money.
Involvement Alumni Relations Chair, Oklahoma University Fall 2015—Spring 2016
Strengthen alumni connections and tend to raise funding at Oklahoma University
Representative of SPE Secretary Office, China
Held the first international competition regarding off-shore drilling platform design
Vision for the Coming Year In my view, I would like to champion the diversity of TAMU SPE and further improve the reputation and influence
across the world. I would recommend to work with other SPE student chapters to spread knowledge and build
connections, so that our SPE chapter is done for all, for the sake of human development, and the world.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer What might be challenging for me is that I am familiar with the university in limited sense. The reason is that I just
joined TAMU since 2016 fall semester. But I am able to adapt the new environment fast and work in an efficient
manner.
Meet the Candidates
Kyle Soares
Treasurer
Class of 2018 Motivation I want to put TAMU SPE in a position that is stable through the ups and downs
of the oil and gas industry. By maintaining reserves, SPE can continue to
motivate young professionals to grow and develop as competitive candidates
for future recruitment opportunities.
Involvement TAMU SPE Student Mentorship Program
Founder/Director Spring 2016—Present
Connected experienced upperclassmen with underclassmen and gave SPE students the insight they need to gain a
competitive advantage in engineering career fairs and interviews
In Fall 2016, the program’s participants received over 100 interviews and obtained 23 internship offers (hire rate
of 64%) without spending a penny
Career Development Committee
Member Fall 2015—Present
Planned leadership workshops, mock interviews, Lunch & Learns, and Career Enhancement Events
Set record-breaking attendance to Fall 2016 CEE and laid foundation for updating corporate email invite list and
improving efficiency in planning the CEE before focusing full time on the Student Mentorship Program
Vision for the Coming Year I want others to be able to have a platform to express their ideas and make them a reality. SPE committee members
should be able to approach the officer team with initiatives that will progress the organization and see those changes
happen. It's my job as the treasurer to ensure a budget surplus so that we can secure and allocate funds to these initiatives
in any job market for the betterment of TAMU SPE without spending our reserves.
Challenge I Expect as an Officer The biggest challenge will be bridging the gap between what the international organization wants and what the TAMU
SPE members want. By aligning the goals of its members and its international counterpart, TAMU can inspire others to
participate in SPE and further improve upon it through each leadership cycle.
Secretary
Meet the Candidates
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller
Cameron Osterhaus
Secretary
Class of 2018 Motivation As Secretary, I want to be able to represent our amazing student chapter through
and show the SPE chapters around the world how much we have accomplished
during the year by working together as a unified team. I believe an officer should
be someone who will lend a helping hand and to connect incredible people with
each other which is exactly why I want to run. I want to be able to give my best
effort to the SPE student chapter and every one of our members because I want to
lead the path our success.
Involvement Social & Sport Committee
Co-Chair Fall 2016—Present
Organized events such as the Christmas Social, the Crawfish Boil, intramural sports teams, and several other SPE
sponsored events
Philanthropy Committee
Co-Chair Fall-2016—Present
Connected our members to many different volunteering opportunities in Galveston and Bryan/College Station
Helped organize profit shares to raise money for Twin City Missions
Vision for the Coming Year This upcoming year, I want SPE to be the top student-run chapter in the world. We are the largest and the best
organization at Texas A&M University because of our hardworking and selfless members. The basis of the SPE lies with
our members and the amount of commitment they give to each event they attend or help prepare for, from the general
meetings to tailgates to reaching out to local schools. My vision is to reward our members for their dedication to our
student chapter at TAMU and for their outstanding achievements. Another vision of mine is to connect our younger SPE
members with the older, more experienced members for their advancement and success in their professional careers.
Many of our members are not privileged with the network of mentors and connections others may have, and I aim to
equalize the playing field so all our members will have the network they deserve. This network will give students
amazing opportunities to secure jobs easier and will leave fewer of our members without internships or full time jobs.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer I am not currently an SPE officer, but I would imagine the biggest challenge for an officer of SPE would be learning how
to handle an organization of its size on a daily basis. This challenge is one that excites me because, as Secretary, I will be
able to communicate events, ideas, and other important information to every single one of our members each week and I
will be able to hear their responses directly. Being able to hear from so many amazing members is priceless because
when all our minds are put together, we become an unbreakable force that can accomplish anything we desire.
Meet the Candidates
Lauren Borden
Secretary
Class of 2019 Motivation I am striving to become the SPE secretary to apply leadership, responsibility
and to serve others while helping me grow as an individual. I chose the
position of secretary because I like to communicate with others and I would
like to both inform and encourage members to become involved, and to
overall assist in the management of SPE's activities. Most importantly, I
desire to work with the team of officers to help make it a successful year and
go above and beyond for the members of SPE.
Involvement Hospitality & Tailgate Committee
Member Fall 2015—Present
Helped setting up food for several SPE events such as General Meeting, Lunch & Learn and Tailgate
Attended meetings, Career Enhancement Event and networking workshops
Received Society of Petroleum Engineers Scholarship upon leaving high school
Vision for the Coming Year Should I become the new secretary, I would apply my abilities and time to accomplish what is expected of me, while
assisting the other officers to accomplish SPE's overall goals. My vision would be for the officers to work well as a team
and to put extra effort into make this year a successful year, learning from the past and looking forward to the future. The
industry has gone through many changes this past year. As secretary, I would strive to find ways to encourage members
and inform them about various activities and opportunities that will help them to stay involved, and further develop their
leadership in the industry, since I believe Texas A&M University is exceptional in this area.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer I think the biggest challenge and key objective is team involvement and utilizing the strengths of all members. I believe a
strength of mine is time management and making sure the "To-Do List" is performed on the due date, and I would like to
find ways to encourage all as a team to stay on task and make sure our goals for the year are accomplished. I believe that
helping this organization reach the defined goals would be an amazing opportunity for me to step up and begin a life
long journey of improving the industry that I have chosen as a career.
Meet the Candidates
Ahria Haghpeykar
Secretary
Class of 2018 Motivation The opportunity to implement previous leadership experience and make
an impact in the department.
Involvement Outreach Committee
Member Fall 2016—Present
Actively engaged and continued education in our community by talking/presenting at various schools in order to
fostering publicity of the oil & gas industry
Have been a member of SPE since freshman year and actively attend meetings
Vision for the Coming Year Enhance the interface between committees, students, and SPE as a whole.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer Trying to make an impact as opposed to simply fulfilling the job description. It takes creatively and dedication to leave
something better than you found it, which is a challenge I am excited to face.
Graduate
Representative
Meet the Candidates
"The best way to predict your future is to create it" - Abraham Lincoln
Dmitry Ridner
Graduate Representative
Class of 2018 Motivation I was first exposed to SPE during my first semester of graduate school in
the fall of 2016, and immediately felt a connection to its core values, its
energy, diversity, and deep commitment to serving its members. As
Graduate Representative, I want to showcase the passion and hard work
of the students that make this chapter the greatest of its kind. By doing
so, I want to voice the unique perspectives of graduate students, and be a
guide for undergrads who may be thinking of future graduate studies.
Involvement Technical Development Committee
Member Fall 2016—Present
Helped with procurement of software licenses for training workshops
Participated in the preparation of spaces for student training events
Attended TAMU-SPE General Meetings
Vision for the Coming Year TAMU-SPE is at its heart, an organization that exists to advance the technical and professional expertise of its member
students. During a difficult economic time for the industry, many students may feel frustrated and discouraged by the
prospects. It is exactly during these times that TAMU-SPE can help them out. Its events and activities should give
students the valuable interpersonal skills needed for finding a place for themselves in the industry, even during tough
conditions. This means knowing how you can get the most out of speaking with seasoned professionals, how to ask the
right questions, how to discover your hidden potential, and how to reach out to the right people. Each event that students
participate in should be a dialogue in which they can both learn and also share their knowledge with others. Through this
kind of cooperation, all students come out stronger and have the confidence to face the challenges of the professional
world.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer The biggest challenge of being an SPE officer is the need to balance and effectively carry out the interests of a large and
diverse student chapter, comprised of students of a variety of different backgrounds, specializations, and stages in their
education. In doing so, the officer must ensure that each student feels a strong sense of community and belonging in the
organization, as well as inspire them to continue to participate in SPE throughout their careers for academic and
professional development.
Meet the Candidates
"There exist limitless opportunities in every industry. Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier." - Charles Kettering
Jimmy (Xiao) Jin
Graduate Representative
Class of 2018 Motivation As a Texas A&M University student who have studied in this department for an
accumulation of almost 8 years, I feel that I have not really contributed to the
societies here at our petroleum engineering department. For my last few years
as a PhD Candidate, I really want to have a chance at making a different for our
department by utilizing the leadership skills that I have accumulated so far. I
have served as Vice President of CSA (Chinese Student Association),
President/Fundraiser Chair/Pledge Captain of Beta Tau Omega (a Multicultural
Greek Council fraternity), Sports Coordinator of VSA (Vietnamese Student
Association), and also for my work in the oil field I have led hydraulic
fracturing and cementing crews in field operations and safety meetings.
Involvement General Member
Attend frequent meetings, workshops and social events
Vision for the Coming Year There are at least two things I want to accomplish: 1) to involve graduate student more in the societies (SPE, AADE, Pi
Epsilon Tau), especially those not born and raised in the United States. From my time as a PhD student here, I noticed
that one of the biggest issues that graduate students have when it comes to finding a job is they cannot pass the
leadership questions being asked in the interview, this is mainly a cultural issue thing because many countries, such as
China, South Korea, etc, leadership positions are looked down upon by parents and professors and education seems to be
the only thing, unlike in the U.S. where even in high school it is about how many officer positions you can get in
addition to good grades. 2) I would like to increase the relationship between graduates and undergraduates through more
communication. Before this semester end, I should have met all the requirements of joining Pi Epsilon Tau. I hope I can
create a strong tutoring committee there and make T.A.s more than just T.A.s, and this in turn should benefit SPE too.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer Typical challenges of being an officer includes the initial transition, lack of leadership experience, get over emotional at
meetings, etc. Other than the initial transition being the challenge here I do not see anything else I would really call a
challenge. With my experience managing officer meetings during my undergraduate and my work experience working
with large frac crews, I think I would be very useful to the SPE officer team.
Meet the Candidates
On forecasting the future: "Predictions are fraught with danger especially when they pertain to the future."
Joshua Ebin
Graduate Representative
Class of 2018 Motivation Joshua’s SPE journey began in 2009 with the University of Calabar student
chapter (Nigeria, section 103) where he was fortunate to help expand
membership participation while serving as Student Membership Chair. His
motivation in running for the TAMU SPE Graduate Representative position
is to support activities that enhance graduate student member participation
in SPE career and professional development activities as well as promote
interaction with the undergraduate student members. He is interested in
supporting the TAMU SPE board in accomplishing their goals for the
2017/2018 session through his MPG vision
Involvement Career Development Committee
Member Fall 2016—Present
Identified and planned professional development opportunities for members
Assisted the team with logistics and planning of the Fall 2016 Career Enhancement Event among other events
SPE Student Membership Chairman
Helped double the chapter membership through activities that encouraged membership participation at the
Student Technical Conference and Exhibition (STCE) and the Nigerian Annual International Conference and
Exhibition (NAICE)
Vision for the Coming Year First I want to improve interaction and SPE membership event participation among graduate and undergraduate student
members through technical specialty groups, incentives, as well as external and internal sponsorship resources for
conference presentation and participation. Secondly I aim to support graduate membership interests and encourage
mentorship for newly admitted graduate SPE members each semester by adjusting SPE meetings to meet changing
membership needs and creating more awareness of SPE graduate opportunities in a timely and efficient manner. Finally,
I wish to sustain and improve successful TAMU SPE footprint at events and conferences globally by encouraging the
development of technical knowledge and participation in opportunities that enhance technical, professional competence
and mastery of research presentation delivery.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer The biggest challenge of serving as TAMU SPE Graduate Representative is time management. The position will require
team work initiative and the ability to organize and adjust flexible schedules to balance the demands of SPE assigned
duties, academic course work, and research.
Meet the Candidates
Mehrdad Alfi
Graduate Representative
Class of 2018 Motivation I like to make grad students more tied into industry and think in a more
practical way on their research.
Involvement Technical Development Committee
Director Fall 2016—Present
Held training and technical sessions
Member Fall 2015—Spring 2016
Vision for the Coming Year TAMU-SPE will have a successful year and should progress by involving more students into committees and activities.
Challenges I Expect as an Officer To manage your time in a way that you guarantee serving the SPE community at your highest potential.