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EXPLORER
Fossil Freeway
from page 52
called “Dancing to the Fossil Record,”
a show that opened at the California
Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
Join Together With the Band
For his part, Johnson, who has
a master’s degree in geology and
paleobotany from the University of
Pennsylvania and a doctorate in
geology and paleobotany from Yale
University, seems genuinely pleased –
both with the book’s reach, its success
and its recognition.
“Both Ray and I are honored to
receive the award,” Johnson said.
When I ask Troll for a comment, he
replied:
“Looks like Dr. J has covered most of
the bases nicely.”
He does, however, point me to
iTunes, where I could find his band.
“Look for Ratfish Wranglers’ ‘Cruisin’
the Fossil Freeway.’ Yes there’s a
musical CD!”
And the man who is featured on his
site between two jars of lumpfish with
the caption wishing everyone to “do
a good deed for a spiny lumpsucker,”
the man who runs a Soho Coho gallery
in Ketchikan, situated in an old historic
house of ill repute located on a salmon
spawning stream, adds:
“Everyone should be in a band
regardless of talent or ambition.”
Who wouldn’t want to take a trip with
these guys?
EXPLORER
“ProTracks” is an ongoing feature of the EXPLORER, offering news and
information pertinent to getting started or getting better in your career.
Jonathan Allen is Pacific Section lead of AAPG’s Young Professionals Committee.
PROTRACKS
YPs Have a Switch Hit
By DREW KREMAN, AAPG YP Mid-Continent Section Lead
is the future of
energy?”
“What
This was the
question addressed by past
AAPG president Scott Tinker in
the film “Switch,” a documentary
that he produced (and narrates)
that intends to deliver a fair and
balanced view of the practical
realities of and upcoming
innovations in energy production.
At a recent screening in the Blue
Room Theater on the corporate campus
of Chesapeake Energy in Oklahoma City,
approximately 70 young professionals
KREMAN
(YPs) from multiple oil and
gas companies in the area
experienced his exploration of
solutions to the world’s potential
energy crisis.
This screening was the
culmination of planning that
began at the fall 2012 Student
Chapter Leadership Summit in
Oklahoma City, when students
from the University of Kansas
AAPG student chapter presented their
experiences in organizing a screening of
“Switch.”
After hearing the students’ workflow,
the AAPG Mid-Continent YPs seized upon
the idea of hosting a “Switch” screening for
local YPs. Planning soon started – and after
the venue was secured, the decision was
made to hold the event March 7.
The months of preparation and
collaboration resulted in an event attended
by YPs from Baker Hughes, Chesapeake
Energy, Continental Resources, Devon
Energy, Halliburton, Sandridge Energy
and several other companies – and with
so many companies represented, the
screening served as not only an educational
event, but also as a networking event.
Collaboration
The screening, while highly successful,
would not have been possible without
effective collaboration between the AAPG
YP Mid-Continent Sub-Committee and
the OKC Young Professionals in Energy
(YPE) Committee – the YPE group does
an excellent job sending out invitations to
its events and tracking the RSVPs, skills
that the YP Mid-Continent Sub-Committee
utilized to promote the “Switch” screening.
As a result, while this event was the
first to be co-hosted by the two groups,
it probably won’t be the last. Great
attendance and several post-screening
discussions were solid evidence of their
successful teamwork.
After the film, AAPG members Hank
DeWitt and Tom Layman of Chesapeake
Energy did a fantastic job fielding questions
from the audience. Queries related to our
energy independence, job security in the
energy industry, sources of energy and the
film itself demonstrated the enthusiasm YPs
have for the energy business.
The success of this “Switch” event
follows on the success of screenings held
by the Pacific Section and Canada Region
YPs – and the YP Committee hopes to
continue this trend by hosting screenings in
the other Sections and Regions.
* * *
u For more information on how you can
be a part of YP events in the Mid-Continent
Section, email Drew Kreman at
dkreman@gmail.com.
u To learn more about YP events in
your area and how you can get involved,
visit the YP Committee page (aapg.org/
youngpros/) and contact your Region/
Section representative.
u To host a screening of “Switch,” go to
www.switchenergyproject.com to contact an
Arcos Film representative.
62 MAY 2013 WWW.AAPG.ORG
(Editor’s note: Drew Kreman is a
geologist with Chesapeake Energy,
Oklahoma City, currently working the Barnett
Shale in the Fort Worth Basin.)