Harold Hamm — Richest Oilman in U.S. — To Visit UND Friday, Dec. 3
Harold Hamm, cited by Forbes as the richest oilman in the United States and listed by Forbes.com as 136th on the list of world’s billionaires, will visit the University of North Dakota Friday, Dec. 3. Hamm, founder and chief executive of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, owns more oil and gas than any other American — including oil in the Bakken, which covers much of western North Dakota. Estimates of reserves in the Bakken have more than doubled to more than 8 billion barrels.
While at UND, Hamm, who is hosted by President Robert Kelley, will visit with area legislators, lunch with area business and government leaders at the EERC, will tour the School of Engineering and Mines, 1 to 1:50 p.m., and host a “Conversation with Harold Hamm” with students (particularly engineering, business and entrepreneurship students, although all students are welcome), 2 to 3 p.m., in Gamble Hall, Room 7.
Hamm is interested in UND because the University — home to the world-renowned Energy & Environmental Research Center and the School of Engineering and Mines — is developing an even greater energy and environmental emphasis to strengthen UND’s already strong service to the state of North Dakota, particularly the energy industry, said UND President Robert Kelley. He cited the addition of a new Bachelor in Petroleum Engineering, a new Master of Science in Energy Engineering — the nation’s first graduate degree in Sustainable Energy Engineering), and a new customizable Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, which join an already existing Ph.D. in Engineering with an energy track.
Kelley also cited the new UND Petroleum Research, Education and Entrepreneurship Center in the School of Engineering and Mines. The center is designed to help improve the understanding of petroleum geology, geophysics, and engineering of the Williston Basin, develop enhanced recovery techniques for the Bakken Formation, develop techniques for carbon sequestration (an internationally recognized area of expertise at the EERC) in the Williston Basin, and more.
Another example: the creation of the UND Institute for Energy Studies, which was approved earlier this year by the North Dakota Board of Higher Education.
“We believe that this Institute will address several of the ‘Grand Challenges’ identified by the National Academy of Engineering as major areas of concern to the nation,” said Hesham El-Rewini, professor and dean of the School of Engineering and Mines. “When I came to UND, I quickly realized that UND has been a pioneer in energy-related research and education for more than 50 years. I proposed this Institute as an umbrella organization to coordinate, enable, facilitate and support interdisciplinary educational and research programs in energy related fields.”
“In addition to offering interdisciplinary degree programs and certificates, the Institute aims to encourage students to get involved in research directly as part of their education,” El-Rewini said. “We would like this Institute to contribute to energy-related policy-making and regulations. We will also pay great attention on outreach and public awareness; we would like to contribute to educate the public about energy issues and also change people’s habits as far as energy is concerned.
“This isn’t just about engineering,” he said. “This is a campus-wide effort, involving all colleges and other campus units. When we said this is a UND Institute-that’s what we mean. Examples: with the oil boom in the western part of the state, social problems have emerged that are not technical or engineering problems. These are issues that need to be studied by social scientists. When it comes to regulations and policies, we need lawyers and public policy experts. We can’t do technology while neglecting social issues and policies.”
The Institute will help the University teaching and research community focus on the big challenges, El-Rewini said.
— Peter Johnson, executive associate vice president for University Relations and Media Relations Coordinator.
