Smith Scholarship Recipients
2026 Recipient
Zainab Iyiola
Zainab Iyiola is a PhD student in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Oklahoma (OU). She holds dual master’s degrees in Petroleum Engineering and Data Science and Analytics from OU and received the Outstanding Master’s Student Award from the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering in 2026. She previously graduated with First Class Honors in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Mines and Technology, Ghana, where she finished at the top of her class. Her research interests span enhanced oil recovery, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen energy systems, production optimization, artificial intelligence, and intelligent decision-support systems. She has authored and co-authored 15+ technical publications and completed more than 50 peer reviews for scientific journals, including the Journal of Geoenergy Science and Engineering and the Journal of Gas Science and Engineering.
Zainab’s academic, research, and professional contributions have earned several recognitions. Some of these include selection for IPTC Education Week in Riyadh in 2022 as one of the top petroleum engineering students globally, the African Energy Chamber Scholarship in 2023, the Egbert Imomoh SPE Scholarship in 2024 and 2025, the SPE Nigeria Council’s Mr. Emeka C. Ene New Energy, Carbon Capture & Sequestration Award in 2025, first place in OU’s university-wide Three Minute Thesis competition in 2025, and selection as an Energy Leader for Tomorrow for the 2025 Energy Intelligence Forum in London.
A dedicated SPE volunteer, Zainab serves on the SPE International Student Development Committee and the editorial board of SPE’s The Way Ahead, where she received the 2025 Outstanding Newcomer Award. Through her research, leadership, and service, she is committed to combining petroleum engineering expertise with data science and artificial intelligence to address complex challenges across the energy industry.