Major Professional Awards
Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), for distinguished achievement in the identification and development of new technology and concepts that will enhance the process of finding or producing petroleum, presented at the SPE’s 2019 Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE), Calgary, Alberta, Canada, September 30-October 2.
Elected Corresponding Member of the Academy of Engineering of Mexico (AEM) for “outstanding contributions to science and engineering in the US and the World.” June, 2017.
Honorary Membership, Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), presented at the International Exposition and 87th Annual Meeting, Houston, Texas, September 24-29, 2017.
2017 Conrad Schlumberger Award, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), in recognition of outstanding contributions to borehole geophysics, formation evaluation, petrophysics, rock physics and well-logging, presented at the EAGE’s 79th Conference and Exhibition, Paris, France, June 12-15, 2017.
2015 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Distinguished Membership, presented at the SPE’s 2015 Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, TX, September 28-30.
Gold Medal for Technical Achievement Award, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), presented at the SPWLA’s 55th Annual Logging Symposium in Abu Dhabi, UAE on May 19, 2014.
2008 Formation Evaluation Award, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), presented at the SPE’s 2008 Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, CO, September 21-24.
2006 Distinguished Technical Achievement Award, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), presented at the SPWLA’s 47th Ann. Logging Symposium in Veracruz, Mexico on June 6, 2006.
Publication and Presentation Awards
Honorable Mention for the Best Paper Category for the Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ (SEG) 2015 Honors and Awards, for the paper titled Pore-scale modeling of electrical resistivity and permeability in FIB-SEM images of organic mudrock, co-authored by Vahid Shabro, Shaina Kelly, C. Torres-Verdín, Kamy Sepehrnoori, and Andre Revil, A., and published in Geophysics, 2014, v. 79, no. 5, pp. D289-D299.
2014 Best Presentation Award, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) for the paper: Ijasan, O., Torres-Verdín, C., Preeg, W. E., Rasmus, J., and Stockhausen, E. J., 2014, Inversion-based interpretation of LWD resistivity and nuclear measurements: Field examples of application in high-angle and horizontal wells (Expanded Abstract): Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) 55th Ann. Logging Symposium, Abu Dhabi, UAE, May 20-22.
2007 Best Paper Award, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) for the paper: Jin, G., Torres-Verdín, C., Devarayan, S., Toumelin, E., and Thomas, E. C., 2007, Pore-scale analysis of the Waxman-Smits shaly-sand conductivity model: Petrophysics, v. 48, no. 2, pp. 104-120.
2007 Best Poster Award, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) for the poster: Mendoza, A., Torres-Verdín, C., and Preeg, W. E., 2007, Rapid simulation of borehole nuclear measurements with approximate spatial flux-scattering functions (Expanded Abstract): Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) 48th Ann. Logging Symposium, Austin, Texas, June 3-6.
2006 Best Paper Award, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) for the paper: Salazar, J. M., Torres-Verdín, C., Alpak, F. O., Habashy, T. M., and Klein, J. D., 2006, Estimation of permeability from borehole array induction measurements: application to the petrophysical appraisal of tight-gas sands: Petrophysics, v. 47, no. 6, pp. 527-544.
2006 Best Presentation Award, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) for the paper: Devarayan, S., Toumelin, E., Torres-Verdín, C., and Thomas, E. C., 2006, Pore-scale analysis of the Waxman-Smits shaly sand conductivity model (Expanded Abstract): Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) 47th Ann. Logging Symposium, Veracruz, Mexico, June 4-7.
2004 Best Paper Award, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) for the paper: George, B. K., Torres-Verdín, C., Delshad, M., Sigal, R., Zouioueche, F., and Anderson, B., 2004, Assessment of in-situ hydrocarbon saturation in the presence of deep invasion and highly saline connate water: Petrophysics, v. 45, no. 2, 141-156.
2003 Best Paper Award, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) for the paper: Alpak, O. F., Dussan V., E. B., Habashy, T. M., and Torres-Verdín, C., 2003, Numerical simulation of mud filtrate invasion in horizontal wells and sensitivity analysis of array induction tools: Petrophysics, v. 44, no. 6, 396-411.
Academic Awards
Brian James Jennings Memorial Endowed Chair in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, January 16, 2015 – present.
Frank W. Jessen Professor in Petroleum Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, September 2012 – present.
Zarrow Centennial Professor in Petroleum Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, September 2008 – present.
Fellow to the Zarrow Centennial Professorship, College of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, September 2006 – Summer 2008.
Chevron Centennial Teaching Fellow, College of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, September 2004 – August 2006.
Designated “Most Outstanding Graduate” from the Department of Geophysics, School of Earth Sciences of the National Polytechnic Institute of México (IPN) during the events commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Department of Geophysics at the IPN, México City, México, November 26, 2010.
Jane Lewis Graduate Fellowship, Department of Materials Science and Mineral Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1986-1987.
Honorary Member, Pi-Epsilon-Tau, National Petroleum Engineering Honor Society.
Member, Phi-Kappa-Phi, National Academic Honor Society.
Member, Tau-Beta-Pi, National Engineering Honor Society.
Awarded the “Lázaro Cárdenas” medal, highest academic honor bestowed to a B.Sc. student of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional de México (National Polytechnic Institute of México).
Teaching Awards
The Texas Ten 2018, Annual list of the 10 most inspiring UT Austin professors, nominated by alumni and selected by the Alcalde magazine (published by the Texas Exes).
2017 Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company Award for Excellence in Engineering Teaching, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin.
Designated “Outstanding Faculty” in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, and awarded the Faculty Appreciation Award by the UT Student Engineering Council of The University of Texas at Austin, March 2, 2010. This award, voted on by students, is given out to one professor in each engineering department.
Engineering Foundation Award, College of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, September 21, 2001.
Departmental Teaching Award, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, April 29, 2002.
Writing Awards
2019 Mexico Center Award for Opinion Writing, The LLILAS (Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies) Benson Mexico Center of the University of Texas at Austin, for the Op-Ed “Texas and Mexico Have a Perfect Partnership Opportunity” (Dallas Morning News, Nov. 2018, Houston Chronicle, Nov. 2018, Austin American Statesman, Dec., 2018), May 8.
Other Awards and Meritorious Recognition and Professional Service
Editor of the technical journal Petrophysics, published by the Society of Petrophysicists and Well-Log Analysts (SPWLA) for the 2018 – 2019 term. Also elected as VP Publications by the SPWLA for the same term.
Heiland Lecture, Sponsored by the Department of Geophysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, December 6, 2017 ((Two-phase fluid flow in source rocks: insights gained from nanofluidics, co-authors: Kelly, S., Balhoff, M., and Mehmani, A.)
Special Invited Guest and Speaker, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, China, October 31 – November 5, 2017 (Ten lectures on relevant, contemporary topics in formation evaluation).
Invited Technical Luncheon Speaker, Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC), Austin, Texas, July 24 – 26, 2017 (Two-phase fluid flow in source rocks: insights gained from nanofluidics, co-authors: Kelly, S., Balhoff, M., and Mehmani, A.)
Editor of the technical journal Petrophysics, published by the Society of Petrophysicists and Well-Log Analysts (SPWLA) for the 2017 – 2018 term. Also elected as VP Publications by the SPWLA for the same term.
2016-2017 Distinguished Technical Speaker, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA).
Invited Keynote Speaker, Fourth International Congress on Multiphysics, Multiscale, and Optimization Problems, with the presentation: Some contemporary challenges in the remote spatial-temporal detection and assessment of hydrocarbon reservoirs for optimal fluid recovery, BCAM, Bilbao, Spain, May 26-27, 2016.
Co-Editor (with A. Dev, Special Section entitled Offshore Geophysical Applications/OTC, published in The Leading Edge (Society of Exploration Geophysicists, SEG), April 2016, v. 35, no. 4, pp. 314-336.
Invited Keynote Speaker, Software Show organized by the Houston Chapter of the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), with the presentation: What is the petrophysics software of the future?, Houston, Texas, December 15, 2015.
Co-Editor (with J. Zhou, Special Section entitled Well Geosteering, published in The Leading Edge (Society of Exploration Geophysicists, SEG), May 2015, v. 34, no. 5, pp. 494-528.
Co-Editor (with A. Dev, Special Section entitled Geohazards/OTC, published in The Leading Edge (Society of Exploration Geophysicists, SEG), April 2015, v. 34, no. 4, pp. 378-410.
Co-Editor (with Tad Smith and Arthur Cheng), Special Section entitled Borehole Geophysics and Sonic Logging, published in The Leading Edge (Society of Exploration Geophysicists, SEG), March 2015, v. 34, no. 3, pp. 276-306.
Designated Chairman of the Editorial Board of the journal The Leading Edge, published by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), November 2014 to October 2015.
Designated Assistant Editor (Special Sections) of the Scientific/Technical Journal Geophysics, published by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), November 2014 to present.
Designated Associate Editor of the Technical Journal Geociencias Aplicadas Latinoamericanas, published by the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), May 2014 to present.
Lead Editor, Special Section entitled Seismic Amplitude Data and Well Logs, published in The Leading Edge (Society of Exploration Geophysicists, SEG), May 2014, v. 33, no. 5, pp. 494-534.
2013-2014 Distinguished Technical Speaker, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA).
Co-Editor (with Tad Smith and Ezequiel González), Special Section entitled Unconventional Resources Technology, published in The Leading Edge (Society of Exploration Geophysicists, SEG), December 2013, v. 32, no. 12, pp. 1476-1519.
Editor, Special Section entitled Geohazards, published in The Leading Edge (Society of Exploration Geophysicists, SEG), October 2013, v. 32, no. 10, pp. 1212-1233.
Invited Keynote Speaker, Society of Petrophysicists and Well-Log Analysts (SPWLA) 2013 Spring Topical Conference on High-Angle Well Placement and Evaluation, Santa Rosa, California, April 29 – May 1st, 2013, with the talk The role of modeling and inversion in the placement and petrophysical evaluation and high-angle and horizontal wells.
Lead Editor and Organizer of the Special Section entitled Multiphysics Borehole Geophysical Measurements, Formation Evaluation, Petrophysics, and Rock Physics, published in Geophysics (Society of Exploration Geophysicists, SEG), May-June issue, v. 77, pp. WA1-WA2 (co-edited with André Revil, Michael Oristaglio, and Tapan Mukerji).
Designated Member of the Editorial Board of the journal The Leading Edge, published by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), March 2012 to October 2015.
Invited Keynote Speaker, 35th Brazilian Congress of Particle Systems (XXXV Congresso Brasileiro de Sistemas Particulados), Vassouras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 23- 26, 2011, with the talk Recent advances in the pore-scale modeling of macroscopic rock properties.
Designated Associate Editor of the Scientific/Technical Journal Geophysics, published by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), March 2009 to October 2014.
Designated Member of the Technical Committee of the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), November 2008 (3-year tenure, from, 2008 to 2011).
2006-2007 Distinguished Technical Speaker, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA).
2003 Best Student Conference Paper Award, Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) for the paper: Varela, O. J., Torres-Verdín, C., and Sen, M. K., 2003, Joint stochastic inversion of pre-stack seismic data and well logs for high-resolution reservoir delineation and improved production forecast (Expanded Abstract): Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) 73th Ann. Internat. Mtg., Dallas, TX, October 26-31. Omar Varela also received the Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ Dan Lowenthal Award for original technical contributions in the field of Geophysics. The two awards were presented to Omar Varela during the 2004 SEG conference held in Denver Colorado on October 10-15, 2004.
Elected Member of the Technical Committee of the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), November 2003 (2003 to 2006).
Dean’s Fellow, College of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, January – May, 2003.
Designated Review Chairman of the Scientific/Technical Journal SPE Journal, published by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), November 2002 to October 2009.
Elected Member of the Technical Research Committee of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, July 2001.
Best Poster Presentation, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) 2000 Ann. Internat. Mtg., Dallas, Texas, October 1- 4, for the paper: A comparison between geostatistical inversion and conventional geostatistical simulation practices for reservoir delineation (Expanded Abstract), authored by Grijalba-Cuenca, A., Torres-Verdín, C., and Debeye, H.
Designated Associate Editor of the Scientific/Technical Journal Petrophysics, published by the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), May 2000 to May 2012.
Recognized as “Reviewer of the Month” by the journal Geophysics. A note appeared in the November 1999 issue of the Leading Edge.
Elected Member-at-Large, Log Characterization Industry Consortium (LRC), Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts, 2000.
Designated Associate Editor of the Scientific Periodical Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications, August 1995 to 2009.
Invited Guest Editor of the Scientific Periodical Radio Science, Special Section on Fast Forward and Inverse Scattering Methods, published in the July-August Issue, 1994 (v. 29, no. 4).
