Smith Scholarship Recipients
Click on the year to see previous Scholarship recipients.
2023 Recipient

Ibrahim Gomaa
Ibrahim Gomaa is a graduate research assistant and Ph.D. student at the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystem Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin (UT Austin). In 2018, Ibrahim obtained his master’s degree in petroleum engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). In 2016, Ibrahim graduated from the British University in Egypt (BUE) as the top student in his cohort (first-class honors) in the Department of Petroleum Engineering and Gas Technology. Moreover, in 2015, Ibrahim joined Texas A&M University as an undergraduate summer research intern.
Karem Al-Garadi
Karem Al-Garadi is currently a PhD student in the Petroleum Engineering Department and a Graduate Research Assistant in the Center of Innovation for Flow through Porous Media at the University of Wyoming, USA. Karem’s current research interest focuses on studying phase behavior of hydrocarbons in nano-scale confinement (ex., shale). In addition, he has worked on various Petroleum Engineering research areas such as Petrophysics, EOR, and NMR applications in oil and gas industry.
Stella Eyitayo
Stella is a seasoned, experienced and certified Petroleum Reservoir Engineer. She has spent the past ten years working with individuals and companies with specialties in Reservoir Engineering, Reserves/resources estimation and reporting, Production technology and Project Economics Evaluations.
Ilias Gavrielatos
Ilias Gavrielatos is a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant currently pursuing a PhD in Petroleum Engineering at The University of Tulsa (TU), Oklahoma, USA. His research interests include enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes, multi-phase flow in porous media and pipes, flow assurance (oil/water emulsions), and renewable energy technologies.
Eric Ansah
Eric is an astute Petroleum Engineer with both research and field engineering experience. He’s worked with multinational firms such as Shell in Ghana before graduate school. Currently, he is undertaking PhD studies at the School of Earth Science, University of Melbourne, Australia.
Fatima Oneyi Yisa
Fatima is currently a PhD Student and Research Assistant in the Enhanced Oil Recovery Lab at Louisiana State University, working with Dr. Dandina Rao. Her research is focused on gas enhanced oil recovery in unconventional reservoirs. Her ultimate goal is to become a subject matter expert in Enhanced Oil Recovery/Reservoir Engineering.
Auzan Soedarmo
Auzan Soedarmo earned his B.S (Chemical Engineering) from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, in 2010. He then worked for ExxonMobil Indonesia as a Facilities Surveillance Engineer. In 2013, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for MS (masters) study. In 2015, he obtained MS degree in Petroleum Engineering (PE) from University of Tulsa (TU), working on paraffin (wax) deposition research. Currently, he is a Ph.D. research assistant at Tulsa University Fluid Flow Project (TUFFP) under PE department at TU.
Qiaotong Ren
Qiaotong Ren has been announced as the 2016 Henry DeWitt Smith Fellowship recipient. Qiaotong was born in China, and lived there for 14 years before coming to the UK. She studied in the International School of Aberdeen before graduating with an International Baccalaureate diploma. For her BSc degree, she studied geology at Imperial College London and graduated with First Class Honours in June 2016. Qiaotong is now pursuing a Master’s in Petroleum Geoscience in Imperial College London.
Aygyul Telyasheva
Aygyul Telyasheva is a PhD candidate concentrating on process chemistry of fuels and high energy substances. She is also the president of the SPE student chapter of the Ufa State Petroleum Technological University (USPTU) in Russia. She completed her undergraduate degree in chemical technology of natural energy carriers and hydrocarbon materials at the USPTU and graduated summa cum laude from this program.
Klemens Katterbauer
Klemens Katterbauer is a research assistant and PhD candidate in Petroleum Engineering (within Earth Science & Engineering program) at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (founded by Saudi Aramco) focusing on Multi-Data reservoir history matching utilizing ensemble Kalman-based techniques.
Vasily Golubev
Vasily Golubev is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Mathematical modeling of the seismic survey is his area of concentration.
Mojtaba Pordel Shahri
Mojtaba Pordel Shahri received his BS and MS degrees in petroleum engineering, and he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in petroleum engineering. He earned the 1st rank in both undergraduate and graduate studies in 2008 and 2010 among all the students. Mojtaba also ranked 1st in the University National Entrance Examination of Graduate Program.
Gerrit Verbeek
Gerrit Verbeek is pursuing a Master’s degree in petroleum engineering at The University of Oklahoma, USA. He also completed his undergraduate degree at The University of Oklahoma, graduating summa cum laude.