Two young professionals were honored with SPE Young Member Outstanding Service Awards at the 2005 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) in Dallas: Felix Anikpo of Nigeria and Christine Bourgeois of the United States.
Bourgeois has been an SPE member since beginning college in 1997. She earned a BS degree in petroleum engineering from Louisiana State U. (LSU) in 2001, graduating summa cum laude. While attending university, Bourgeois was active with the student chapter assisting with several committees, including membership, golf tournament, fund raising, and community service. She served as SPE Freshman Representative, SPE Sophomore Representative, SPE Student Chapter Secretary, SPE Student Chapter President, and Pi Epsilon Tau Treasurer. Bourgeois also helped raise money for the SPE Student Chapter by chairing the 2nd LSU SPE Golf Tournament. Funds were used for students to travel to ATCE. She also chaired blood drives and food drives for the SPE Student Chapters.
After graduation, Bourgeois joined ChevronTexaco’s Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Business Unit in New Orleans, where she served as Secretary of the SPE Delta Section in 2002–03 and later as Treasurer. As Treasurer, she chaired the Delta Section’s Annual Deepwater Symposium, Treasury Committee, Focus Group Committee, Emerging Leaders Program Committee, One Voice Committee, and Facilities and Construction Study Group Committee.
“I was very surprised and honored to receive the 2005 Young Member Outstanding Service Award,” Bourgeois said. “I have grown both professionally and personally because of my membership and involvement in SPE. I thank SPE for recognizing the contributions made by the younger professional community, and I look forward to increasing my participation in SPE.”
Anikpo joined SPE as a student member at the U. of Port Harcourt. During his study, he joined the SPE Student Chapter and served as Secretary in 1996 and President in 1997. Anikpo works for Willbros Nigeria Ltd. as a project engineer. He served in the SPE Port Harcourt Section as Student Affairs Chairperson during 2000–02 and as Treasurer during 2003–05. He is currently Micro-Computer Chairperson of the section. On the Nigerian Council level, he served as National Student Affairs Chairperson during the SPE Nigerian Annual International Conference and Exhibition in 2002.
“I am very pleased and elated to receive the 2005 Young Member Outstanding Service Award,” he said. “My exposure both locally and internationally has been rewarding since I volunteered for SPE. My professional development has been amazing. I deeply appreciate the opportunity I had to serve and thank SPE Nigeria and SPE International for recognizing my small contributions. Being the first person to receive this award from the African region, I am honored and will work with young members in SPE for a better oil and gas industry tomorrow.”