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AAPG IBA

Global Industry Mentor Program

How do I mentor an IBA team?

You've reached the right place to Register to be a Global Mentor to an IBA team in need, commencing in 2020.

If you are an exploration geoscientist, a subject matter expert in regional tectonics, geophysics, basin modeling, petrophysics, geochemistry, petroleum systems, or an IBA alum…we need you!

This is your opportunity to give back by giving forward of your time and expertise to aspiring petroleum geoscientists from around the world on perhaps their first attempt at deciphering an exploration dataset.

Register as an Global Industry Mentor

What is the Mission and Purpose of the Global Mentor Program?

The mission of the IBA Global Mentoring Program is to promote and facilitate a worldwide volunteer network of experienced exploration geoscientists to serve as mentors to IBA students.

The purpose of this program is to solicit volunteers who are willing and capable of enhancing a student's understanding and interpretation of their dataset through their coaching of petroleum system elements and processes, seismic interpretation, and risking of plays and prospects.

Who are Global Mentors?

IBA mentors are exploration geoscientists, geophysicists, geochemists, or past IBA student members who volunteer to serve as technical advisors to an IBA team. They are geologists like you who have an opportunity to expand your advising roles to student teams in need of coaching on their dataset to ensure they are competitive by interpreting all the elements specified in the IBA competition rules.

Global Mentor Roles and Responsibility:

Your role and responsibility as a Global Mentor is to serve as a technical coach by providing technical advice and insights, to monitor deliverables outlined in the IBA Rules and Procedures, to review the team's critical step progress, and to help pave the way forward to the team's final presentation with all the boxes checked in which they will be critiqued by a panel of IBA judges.

As a Global Mentor, your requirement is to meet with the team for one hour per week, likely in a teleconference or online chat platform. If you are located near the school, in-person visits to work with the team members are a real plus.

You can learn more about the IBA program and the rules of engagement as an IBA Mentor by reviewing the Rules and Operating Procedures, Section 4: Industry Mentors (below).

You may not be an expert in all aspects of exploration, but this is where you can help us by networking with your colleagues to join in this inaugural effort to provide coaches to IBA students in need of industry mentors.

Global Mentor Guidelines

Teams may invite industry professionals as mentors to review and advise them on their presentations.

  1. Teams may invite a maximum of three industry mentors to provide mentorship on analysis and presentation, as long as at least one is a young professional.
  2. Such mentors must be advised by the Faculty Advisor as to the purpose and goal of the program prior to participating as a consultant.
  3. Consultants may instruct students on how to perform a task, advise as to presentation content, or encourage students to consider alternative ways in approaching the task required by the program.
  4. In no form, manner, or method may the mentor actually perform the work required in the program. Violation of this rule will result in the immediate dismissal of the team by the IBA Committee from the IBA program for that or upcoming year, depending upon the date of the infraction.

Other ways to Volunteer:

Become a Team Faculty Advisor

Faculty advisors must commit to the program and be responsible for the team's preparation and participation. They must be willing to act as custodians to ensure that the spirit and ethos of the exercise is honored and maintained. For more information, click here.

Provide Sponsorship and Be a Competition Judge

Your company can support IBA by making a financial contribution to the program, donating a dataset, sponsor luncheons or ice breakers at Section and Region semifinal competitions, and volunteering to serve as a judge. For more information, click here.