In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic created lockdowns around the world, I read a newly published book entitled At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and Creative Life by Fenton Johnson. The book surveyed the lives of several eminent writers and artists, including Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson, and described how solitude had contributed to their creative and artistic lives. I enjoyed the read and agree that creativity (as Virginia Woolf famously put it) requires “a room of one’s own.” Nevertheless, as the pandemic lingered on and the lockdowns continued, I felt that creativity also necessitates social life. We learn from each other, are inspired by our encounters, and encouraged by camaraderie.

These essentials also constitute the reasons for membership in professional associations, and these thoughts were in the minds of 90 geologists who gathered in February 1917 at Henry Kendall College (today Tulsa University) in Oklahoma to establish the AAPG. Over the past 110 years, the AAPG has continued as the oldest and largest professional association in the field of petroleum geoscience.

I have been a member of several geoscience societies, including the AAPG, for decades. Many joyful memories from my professional life have come from the conferences I have attended. The annual AAPG IMAGE conference, for instance, has taken me to Houston, New Orleans, San Antonio, Denver, Calgary, and more.

Why should students, academics, researchers, experts, and managers join their professional society? Here are several reasons.

(1) Networking and Community

Science is never done in isolation. Belonging to a professional society broadens our working environment and builds connections that strengthen our careers. Professional societies provide access, and often discounts, to large events that offer opportunities to meet new people in our field and/or reconnect with old colleagues.

AAPG has held annual conventions in North America since its foundation in 1917. In 2020 (coinciding with the COVID pandemic), AAPG’s annual convention became IMAGE (International Meeting of Applied Geoscience and Energy) – a collaboration program between AAPG, Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), and Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM). The IMAGE event has been held in Houston since then.

Since 1994, the AAPG has also held International Conference and Exhibition (ICE) events – the first was held in Kuala Lumpur, and the 2026 ICE will take place in Jakarta from 7–9 December.

AAPG events usually include short courses, field trips, and exhibition halls filled with companies and universities active in geoscience. These bring together attendees from each of AAPG’s six geographic sections in the United States (Eastern, Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent, Pacific, Rocky Mountain, and Southwest sections), as well as its six international regions (Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East regions). Opportunities to connect with energy professionals all over the world abound!

(2) Professional Development and Education

Professional societies offer updated educational resources to enhance the professional knowledge and skillsets of their members. These are often free ways to sharpen your skillset and help fuel career advancement.

AAPG offers regular webinars on specialized topics, including those focused on upstream business and new technologies. Your membership covers any fees associated with attending these virtual events.

Membership also includes subscriptions to AAPG’s many leading trade publications, which can help keep you informed as you navigate the field and its ever-evolving news and research.

AAPG has published hundreds of memoirs and other book volumes that have contributed to the science of petroleum and subsurface geoscience. The monthly AAPG Bulletin, AAPG’s flagship journal, is celebrating its 110th volume this year. The Explorer, AAPG’s monthly industry news magazine, is in its 47th year, and follows the latest happenings in petroleum geoscience and upstream energy.

In recent years, AAPG has also offered several free digital newsletters, each of which provides digestible looks at the industry’s most recent geoscience discoveries, upstream business news, and desired geological travel destinations. Anyone within the geoscience community can subscribe to these newsletters for free!

(3) Opportunities for Students

While students can certainly take advantage of all the membership benefits already discussed, there are some aspects of membership to a professional association that are more specifically targeted to help students or early career professionals stand out and succeed.

One such program is the Imperial Barrel Award (IBA). Sponsored by industry-leading companies, the IBA is an annual subsurface basin evaluation program for geoscience graduate students from universities around the world. Supervised by professors, students compete to win scholarship funds for their geoscience department and international recognition.

Membership also provides students opportunities to connect with their peers in energy worldwide: AAPG has more than 400 student chapters at universities and colleges. They can also meet potential mentors at any of the association’s many events.

(4) Credibility and Authority

Membership in a professional society like AAPG indicates commitment to the profession and is a merit to our reputation.

AAPG’s Division of Professional Affairs (DPA) gives Professional Petroleum Certification to eligible AAPG members after a review process.

Each year, AAPG also recognizes the careers of distinguished geoscientists, explorers and professionals by giving various awards including the Sidney Powers Memorial Award, Michel T. Halbouty Outstanding Leadership Award, Norman H. Foster Outstanding Explorer Award, AAPG Honorary Member Award, AAPG Distinguished Service Award, Grover E. Murray Memorial Distinguished Educator Award, Wallace E. Pratt Memorial Award, A. I. Levorsen Memorial Award, The Geosciences in the Media (formerly Journalism) Award, and others.

(5) Leadership and Influence

Membership in professional societies also provides opportunities to participate in leadership committees and boards related to professional and community activities. These positions strengthen teamwork, planning, and problem-solving skills that can be transferred to our own career but also contribute to the well-being and future of our profession.

Each year, IMAGE is organized and planned by several committees, which members can join and/or lead. There are also opportunities to get involved with Divisions, Technical Interest Groups, or Special Interest Groups, including the Energy and Minerals Division, Division of Professional Affairs, Division of Environmental Geoscience, Petroleum Structures and Geomechanics Division, AAPG Women’s Network, and many more.

Why join AAPG? The final answer comes from the AAPG’s mission statement:

“AAPG’s mission is to advance the science of geology, especially as it relates to petroleum, natural gas, other subsurface fluids, and mineral resources. This includes:

  • Advancing economic and environmentally sound production and procurement technology
  • Fostering the spirit of scientific research throughout its membership
  • Disseminating geological and technological information relating to petroleum, natural gas, other subsurface fluids, and mineral resources
  • Inspiring and maintaining a high standard of professional conduct from its members
  • Providing the public with the means to recognize trained and professionally responsible geologists
  • Advancing its members’ professional well-being”

In 1624, the English poet John Donne wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself.” Now, a quarter into the twenty-first century, this idea rings even truer. AAPG annual membership is currently $125 for professionals (which is tax-deductible as a business expense) and only $10 for students! This is a small investment with huge returns and a noble contribution to our science and profession.