Jim Geitgey earned his B.S. and M.S. in Geology from SES in 1982 and 1984, respectively. Jim now works as an Owner and Petroleum Geologist at Terra Nova Energy in Midland, TX.
Contact: jim@terranovalp.com
"Never be afraid to admit you don’t know something, no one has all the answers all the time, including your professors!"
Where has your degree taken you?
Upon graduating with my MS in 1984, I took a position with ARCO Oil and Gas Company. It was a tough time to find employment as a geologist, but I was fortunate that in addition to the offer from ARCO, I had an offer from Battelle Memorial Institute, and had been accepted to the PhD program in the Dept. of Paleontology at UC Berkeley. I somehow managed to survive 3 major layoffs in my first few years with ARCO, and after a year of training in Dallas, TX, I was assigned to work with the Offshore Exploration division in Houston, TX. In 1989, I was transferred back to Dallas to run the company’s college recruiting program for geoscientists and oversee training for the Exploration organization. In 1991 I was transferred to Midland as an Area Exploration Manager, and after going through 2 more layoffs, decided I wanted to try my hand as an independent explorationist. After 4 years overseeing the geological activities for a small independent, I have over the past 20 years founded or co-founded two companies that evaluate and generate oil and gas projects across multiple Lower 48 basins. I love what I do, which is an entrepreneurial blend of science and business.
How do you feel your experience, specifically as an SES/geology student at OSU, prepared you for your career or life in general?
My time as a student at OSU was critical in preparing me for the challenges and successes that I have enjoyed in my career and life since graduating. First, I was able to obtain a well-rounded geoscience as well as general educational background at OSU. This allowed me to not only excel in my technical field, but I was also better prepared to handle a broader set of challenges and advance in supervisory and management positions, planning and strategy roles, and then broader executive, entrepreneurial, and business functions. Probably most importantly, several of the professors (Dr. W.C. Sweet, Dr. G. Faure) and various courses in the department were instrumental in fostering the critical thinking skills that I have effectively used throughout my career on a routine basis to the present day.
What is your favorite memory as a student?
There are many and they all involve my fellow students, the faculty/staff, and new experiences: Bahamas carbonate field trip; Highs and lows of field camp in Utah; My thesis research in Israel; Happy hours & parties; All the great discussions & debates!
What advice do you have for current and future students?
Take full advantage of every moment, because it will go by too fast. By all means get everything you can out of the educational experience (you’re the client, paying for it one way or another), but have fun too! Make sure you get what you need/want to prepare you for what comes next, i.e. employment or another degree. Have a plan, and make sure the people advising you know what they are talking about. Never be afraid to admit you don’t know something, no one has all the answers all the time, including your professors!