ENDOWMENTS TO BRING NEW COURSES, FOSTER
RESEARCH IN GEOSCIENCES AT UH
Robert and Margaret Sheriff Back Professorships in Sequence Stratigraphy
and Geophysics
HOUSTON, March 8, 2005 – Two endowments given to the University
of Houston hold promise for new research and additional courses
in fields that aid the energy exploration and production industry.
Professor Emeritus Robert E. Sheriff, long-time faculty member
in UH’s geosciences department, and Margaret S. Sheriff, his
wife, recently endowed two college professorships – one in
sequence stratigraphy and one in geophysics. The endowments will
support two faculty members in the geosciences who are experts in
these fields in UH’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
(NSM).
“Thanks to the generosity of the Sheriffs, we will be able
to fund more research and retain the high quality faculty members
necessary to achieve true excellence in sequence stratigraphy and
geophysics,” said John F. Casey, chairman of the geosciences
department. “These are two fields that are essential within
Houston’s energy exploration and production industry. These
two professorships will contribute significantly in educational
activities with a growing undergraduate and graduate student population
interested in applied energy fields in geology and geophysics within
the geosciences department.”
Sequence stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with interpreting
seismic data patterns to reveal the position, depth and location
of rocks underneath the earth’s surface. The way rocks are
deposited beneath the earth suggests whether they are surrounded
by gas, sediment (such as sand or clay) or fluid (such as oil or
water). Scientists use this information to detect oil and gas beneath
the earth’s surface, which is important for practical applications
in the chemical, utility and transportation industries.
Geophysicists study the earth’s crust and interior using principles
of math and physics. Geophysics includes branches of study such
as oceanography, seismology (the study of earthquakes) and meteorology.
For more than 30 years, Sheriff has taught at UH and been a leader
in the field of exploration seismology, the application of 3-D seismic
data for exploration, development and production of oil and gas
fields. Before joining UH, Sheriff worked for more than 25 years
at Chevron Oil Company. After Chevron, he served as senior vice
president for development of Seiscom Delta Corporation for five
years. Beginning his UH career as an adjunct professor in 1973,
he became a full-time faculty member in 1981.
Today, Sheriff is primarily involved with reservoir geophysics
that deals with three-dimensional traps beneath the earth’s
surface, called reservoirs, that contain petroleum or crude oil
reserves. Seismic methods attempt to image the subsurface of the
earth and find these traps.
“I believe that seismic methods are grossly underused in
reservoir engineering and that they can contribute much to oil and
gas field development and production,” Sheriff said.
The author of several geophysics textbooks, Sheriff wrote one of
the first books on sequence stratigraphy, a field of geological
study he assisted in developing and refining in the 1970s. He also
is the recipient of dozens of industry and educational awards, including
the Maurice Ewing Medal of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists
(SEG) for lifetime work in geophysics.
Margaret Sheriff is the chair of the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto
(GSSJ) Council History Committee and has been active in Girl Scouts
and Girl Guides in seven locations, three countries and five U.S.
councils. Currently, she is an active volunteer for the GSSJ and
recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization.
In addition, she was honored with the prestigious Juliette Low Friendship
Medal by the Girl Scouts of the USA national board of directors
and will receive her 60-year pin next year.
The Sheriffs have previously supported UH through other university
endowments in NSM. In 1999, they established two SEG Foundation
Scholarships for foreign graduate students. These SEG scholarships
are available annually to two foreign university graduates seeking
master’s or doctoral degrees in geophysics at UH, providing
living expenses for the first year of graduate studies and the opportunity
to show a student’s abilities and potential. In addition,
they previously endowed the Margaret S. and Robert E. Sheriff Chair
in Applied Seismology in the Department of Geosciences in NSM to
support geophysics research that uses seismic data for different
applications, such as locating oil and gas or investigating foundations
and structures for building dams and bridges.
An annual Sheriff Lecture series also has been established by the
Houston Geological Society and the UH Geosciences Alumni Association.
This lecture series highlights industry experts addressing hot topics
in geosciences applications and research.
“The Sheriffs’ commitment to education and outreach
to young people is phenomenal,” Casey said. “It’s
quite spectacular when you consider all they have contributed to
education over the years and the wonderful efforts of Margaret’s
volunteer work with the Girl Scouts. I cannot think of better examples
of a couple who have truly given so much back to the university,
department and community. It has been an honor for us all in the
geosciences department to work with and know both Bob and Margaret
so well. We thank them for their overwhelming generosity.”
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
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