Annual Report 2007: FY July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007
Membership Young Professionals Committee
The mission of the AAPG Young Professional Committee is to foster a challenging and successful career in the energy business for recent college graduates and early career geoscientists; build an understanding of the value of a lasting relationship between AAPG and young professional members. Accomplishing this mission will require: Open communication with students about careers in earth science; Identifying and serving early career needs of young geoscientists; Offering opportunities for networking, career guidance, learning, and enhancing professional competence.
The responsibilities of this committee are to provide a series of unique services to AAPG young professionals members.; to retain and increase our current Young Professional membership; and to encourage AAPG young professionals to progress from Student to Associate to Active membership.
The AAPG Young Professionals Community Web site provides a place for relevant community news to be posted as well as a discussion forum for Young Professionals.
Potential goals of the YOC are as follows:
- To create a quarterly newsletter for new and existing Young Professional members, which could include: advice to young professionals from Active AAPG members and upcoming events and meetings. A “1st year’s corner” which could give timely advice for one’s first year in the industry, and include polls on hot topics/newsworthy items in the geologic/geophysical community.
- Welcoming letter from YPC to those students who will be employed after graduation. This letter acts as encouragement for the young professional to remain active in the AAPG community.
- Mentoring via the Web site. Active members could sign up to become mentors and respond to questions posted by young professionals.
- Interactive online seminars (webinars) on topics relevant to the Young Professionals population. Topics such as project management, sales training for non-sales positions, hot topics in the industry such as Basics of Carbon Sequestration, etc. (These courses should be offered for free or for a small fee; be short in duration; remain open to the entire membership with playback allowed.)
- Potential socials with the Student Chapters to increase student interaction with AAPG young professionals just entering the industry. Socials could take place at U.S. and overseas conventions.
Natalie Uschner, Chair
Committee members: Jeffrey K Barndt, Phebe M. Blaylock, Matthew Wade Boyd, Susan M. Cunningham, Jared Brandon Haight, Christopher P. M. Heath, Sankar Kumar Muhuri, Richard Steinmetz, and Natalie Uschner (chair).