Energy Resources and Petroleum Engineering PhD Program

 Program Mission:
The mission of the ERPE PhD program is to educate the next generation of researchers, leaders and pioneers in subsurface energy who create and disseminate original knowledge. Through fundamental and interdisciplinary research that advances new knowledge and sustained engagement and partnership with industry and the global community, we develop and translate scalable, physics-based solutions for the responsible geo-storage and recovery of subsurface energy resources, advancing Vision 2030 energy transition priorities while minimizing environmental impact.

Program Goals:

•  Education: Provide a world-class, graduate education that ensures students master the fundamental physics and interdisciplinary engineering principles required to become leaders and pioneers in subsurface energy.
• Research: Lead fundamental and interdisciplinary research to develop scalable, physics-based solutions for responsible geo-storage and energy recovery, accelerating the global energy transition. 
• Community & Impact: Cultivate sustained partnerships with industry and the global community, ensuring our research and graduates contribute directly to responsible, environmentally-conscious energy policies and practices.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) 
Knowledge and Understanding:  

•  K1: Synthesize and extend the geological, petrophysical, and geomechanical frameworks that govern subsurface energy and mineral resources.
• K2: Critically integrate and evaluate the processes and technical challenges of subsurface energy recovery and storage, such as geothermal, CO₂ sequestration/mineralization, underground energy storage, and hydrocarbon systems.
• K3: Critically evaluate advanced thermodynamics and multiphase flow in porous media based on numerical and data-driven models for prediction, optimization, and uncertainty quantification.
• K4: Critically appraise and recommend strategies based on the scientific and economic foundations of the energy transition to guide responsible, low-carbon decision-making.

Skills: 

•  S1: Design and lead hypothesis-driven laboratory experiments and field data-acquisition campaigns to characterize geological, mineralogical, and petrophysical properties, ensuring rigor, reproducibility, and robust research data management.
• S2: Develop, validate, and generalize thermal–hydraulic–mechanical–chemical simulations to analyze subsurface energy and storage systems, including method development, verification/validation, and uncertainty propagation.
• S3: Formulate and validate data-driven solutions by developing and applying machine learning and statistical analysis to subsurface challenges, with original research datasets, benchmarking, and model interpretability.
• S4: Lead comprehensive research project for subsurface development, integrating advanced technical analysis, uncertainty quantification, and risk management within a structured stage-gate decision framework.

Values, Autonomy, and Responsibility: 

• V1: Champion a sustained, original research program with full autonomy, setting strategic research directions, making critical high-level decisions, and mentoring others.
• V2: Initiate and lead multidisciplinary research collaborations, setting the intellectual agenda and integrating contributions to achieve transformative outcomes.
• V3: Define and uphold the highest standards of ethical and sustainable engineering, shaping professional norms and policies through expert critique and advocacy.