Students Student awards

ETLP students have benefitted over the years by the generosity of both Ian Jack and Leon Thomsen, who have provided scholarships to select students each year via the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. To date there have now been a significant number of students who have gained benefit from these scholarships, and ETLP remains very grateful for these kind and generous gifts to our students.

ETLP students apply for these awards after pre-selection by ETLP staff by mid February each year. The SEG deadline for this process is 1 March of each year.

SPE Aberdeen Student Bursary Award

  • 2024 Farshad Jafarizadeh, Shi Yuan Toh, Ali Raeisdana, Rasool Kolajoobi

Leon Thomsen SEG Award

Leon retired from BP in 2008, after a long and highly successful career with Amoco and BP. He is currently Research Professor of Geophysics at the University of Houston, and Visiting Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Chief Scientist at Delta Geophysics. He established his own company Delta Geophysics. Leon has led technical development in applied geophysics through innovation in vector seismics (polar anisotropy, azimuthal anisotropy, azimuthal AVO, converted waves, and Life-of-Field-Seismics); in pore-pressure prediction; and most recently in ISEM and anisotropic rock physics, through numerous SEG publications and presentations, and many patents. He was an early recipient (1960-64) of an SEG Scholarship. He received SEG’s Fessenden Award in 1994. He served as SEG Distinguished Lecturer in 1997 and as SEG/EAGE Distinguished Instructor in 2002. He is an Honorary Member of GSH and of EAGE. He is a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, and holder of their Kapitsa Medal. He served SEG as Vice President, as President-Elect, and as President (2006-07). He currently serves on the SEAM Board of Directors.

Previous recipients of this award:

  • 2023: Toh, Shi Yuan
  • 2022: Toh, Shi Yuan
  • 2021: Amiri Kolajoobi, Rasool
  • 2020: Faith Osasogie Obasuyi
  • 2019: Paul Mitchell
  • 2018: Anthony Hallam
  • 2017: Gustavo Corte
  • 2016: Chong (Justin) Geng
  • 2015: Ming Yi Wong
  • 2013: Dennis Obidegwu
  • 2012: Sean Tian
  • 2011: Arinze Oguchi
  • 2010: Reza Falahat
  • 2009: Yi Huang
  • 2008: Amran Benguigui
  • 2007: Nader Kooli
  • 2006: Neil Hodgson
  • 2005: Hansel Gonzalez


Ian Jack SEG Award

Ian Jack is a physics honours graduate from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. He began his geophysical career in 1968 by spending four years in the Middle East as an electronics field engineer in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan, and later as a seismic processor in Beirut, before moving to software development in Dallas, Texas. He joined the Technical Service Division of BP Exploration in London in 1978, and became manager of their worldwide geophysical operations in 1982. Other assignments included subsurface R&D manager, and eventually as BP’s so-called “Distinguished Advisor” on geophysics, he was responsible for new technology and subsurface technology strategy during and subsequent to the Amoco and Arco acquisitions. He was the instigator of BP’s first “Life of Field Seismic” project at Valhall in Norway. He has also campaigned for years for fundamental changes in land seismic systems (e.g. moving from cable systems to nodes) which are now beginning to take place. He retired from BP at the end of 2002.

Ian is an honorary member of SEG and is a member of EAGE and the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain. He was Vice-President of the SEG in 1992-93 (the first European to hold this role). He has chaired the Advisory Committee of the EAGE and served as a member of the UK’s Earth Science & Technology Board of NERC. He was the SEG’s inaugural Distinguished Instructor in 1998 with the course entitled “Time Lapse Seismic in Reservoir Management” which was taught to over 2000 geoscientists worldwide during that year. He teaches updated versions of this course four or five times a year, including for the EAGE and SEG Continuing Education programs.

His interests are in most aspects of geophysics and he has contributed papers to SEG, EAGE, AAPG, and OTC on topics such as 4-D seismic, the downgoing vibroseis wavelet and marine seismic interference as well as several workshop and review papers. In “retirement”, in addition to his teaching assignments, he consults widely around the industry in (for example) reviews of major companies’ technology programs and as co-organiser of workshops. His relaxations (in addition to geophysics) include music, theatre, skiing, and mountain trekking.

Previous recipients of this award:

  • 2023: Shi Yuan Toh
  • 2022: Shi Yuan Toh
  • 2021: Boshara Merghani Arshin Sukar
  • 2020: Gustavo Corte
  • 2019: Samarth, Bachkheti
  • 2018: Shaji Mathew
  • 2017: Alejandro Jaramillo
  • 2016: Niki Obiwulu
  • 2015: Veronica Omofoma
  • 2014: Ricardo Rangel
  • 2013: Olarinre Salako
  • 2012: Erick Alvarez & Salako Olarinre
  • 2011: Ilya Fursov & Yesser HajNasser
  • 2010: Hamed Amini
  • 2009: Alejandro Garcia
  • 2008: Mehdi Paydayesh
  • 2007: Fabian Domes
  • 2006: Margarita Corzo
  • 2005: Mariano Floricich


Frans and Alice Hammons SEG Award

  • 2014: David Yin