Message from the Chair

On behalf of Rice University and this year’s program committee, it is with great enthusiasm that I welcome you to the 8th Annual Rice Oil & Gas High-Performance Computing Workshop.

This year’s workshop takes place amid a time of cautious optimism in the oil and gas industry, with a shared hope for a strong and prosperous economy in the months ahead.  Once again, the Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology at Rice University is proud to bring together academic researchers with experienced professionals from the oil and gas industry and the IT industry to share ideas, network and discuss challenges and trends in high-performance computing and data science.

We are also extremely excited about the opportunities this workshop brings to the community.  The OG-HPC Workshop continues to serve as an education and workforce enabler by highlighting the many cutting edge computational science and engineering opportunities in the oil and gas industry, and by offering supplemental fellowships for students pursuing research or degrees in computational mathematics, scientific computing, computer science, and engineering. With proceeds from last year’s OG-HPC Workshop, the Ken Kennedy Institute was able to support a record number of graduate enhancement fellowships to Rice students in the 2014-2015 academic year. Thanks to the growing support from our sponsors and partners, we will be awarding additional fellowships this spring to students entering our program. Our students are eager to discuss their research with you at this year’s poster session – don’t miss it!

This year’s program features impressive keynote speakers and more than 36 talks that address the key challenges and topics shaping the oil and gas and IT industries. During breaks between sessions, I encourage you to network and peruse the sponsor exhibit hall where you’ll have the opportunity to learn about business-enhancing products and services from more than 25 companies.  I am certain this year’s conference will make meaningful contributions to the industry dialogue, especially in the areas of large-scale high-performance computing, disruptive technology, and advanced seismic algorithms.

While this event has grown beyond what we expected, the goal of the OG-HPC Workshop continues to be to unite members of the oil and gas industry, the IT industry and academic research. The workshop also serves as a platform for inspiring leaders to share their knowledge, views, and experiences to benefit the oil and gas community and those students seeking to be a part of it.  It is extremely rewarding to see the dedication and continued support of Rice University and of so many committee members and volunteers that share in our vision for the OG-HPC Workshop.  I sincerely thank our program committee and the many people who contributed their time and expertise to bring you this year’s event.  It is my great pleasure to serve as the Chair for the 2015 Rice Oil and Gas High Performance Computing Workshop.  Together, I invite you to stay engaged during this workshop, embrace the challenges we face as a community, and join me in pursuit of excellence in our future endeavors.

Warm regards,

Jan E. Odegard

Rice University
Associate Vice President, Office of Information Technology/
Executive Director, Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology

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