AAPG’s historic Distinguished Lecture program has undergone a revolutionary transformation aimed at extending the program’s accessibility, audience and reach.
New topics, new speakers and the new use of technology mean that this year, for the first time ever, everyone on earth will have access to all Distinguished Lectures – at any time you want to connect.
Videos and complementary podcasts featuring this year’s six lectures (for audio and visual streaming or downloads), themed “Energy Insights,” will be available starting in December.
This year’s DL roster features six speakers, selected by the AAPG Distinguished Lecture Committee, who are the pioneers in a new era of sharing and accessing geoscience information.
What’s gone: The concept of one speaker physically “touring” a region for two-three weeks, speaking only to groups in those areas.
What remains: Audiences worldwide will be introduced to emerging trends, new technologies and cutting-edge research in the geosciences, all presented by top experts in their respective fields.
Why the change?
Because today’s audiences expect instantaneous access and delivery of information. You’ve told us you receive information from a variety of online sources by downloading or streaming files, and you want the flexibility of choosing a convenient time to view or listen to the information rather than attending a single scheduled event.
We got the message.
Here’s how it works:
Presentations of the lectures are now recorded as videos and podcasts. The lectures will be available for download from GooglePlay and iTunes as well as direct download from the AAPG website.
For individual viewings or listening, all presentations will be available 24/7. Questions can be sent to the respective lecturer via a link that will be provided on the AAPG website, with the intent of rapid responses by the experts.
For groups and classrooms, webinars provide the opportunity for a “virtual lecture experience.” By contacting the AAPG Programs Team we can schedule the lecturer to be present for your group to host an online chat or Q-and-A session with audience members (this feature is subject to DL availability).
Going forward, this new virtual approach also will impact the availability of speakers to participate as a DL – many of whom are unable to commit to the previous model’s two- or three-week tour schedule. Recording their lectures on location in Tulsa takes a matter of two or three days, achieving a consistent production quality and increasing the number of qualified speakers participating in the program.
“The goal behind these changes is to maintain the program’s excellence and reputation but also to make it more accessible and relevant to audiences around the world, all designed to get the best geoscience information into the lives of the most people possible,” said Vern Stefanic, director of AAPG’s Administration and Programs. “It’s a strategy to help ensure the DL program’s success deep into the 21st century.”
The time has come. The new Distinguished Lecture program is a concept that meets the needs of audiences in the digital age.
For more information contact AAPG program coordinator Heather Hodges at 918-560-2621.
This Year’s Distinguished Lecturers:
Irene Arango, senior geochemist, Chevron Energy Technology Co.: “Understanding Expulsion Capacity and Organic Porosity In Unconventional Petroleum Systems”
Susan Cunningham, senior adviser, Darcy Partners: “What it Takes to be Successful In Exploration and Innovation”
Ashley Harris, clastic stratigraphic team leader, Chevron Energy Technology Co.: “Re-evaluating the Relationship Between Relative Sea Level and Sediment Distribution Using Numerical Stratigraphic Forward Models”
Michael Hudec, senior research scientist, director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, Applied Geodynamics Laboratory, University of Texas: “Evolution of the Salina del Bravo, Mexico: The Bravo Trough, Sigsbee Canopy and Perdido Fold Belt”
List Stright, assistant professor, Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University: “Template-based Modeling: Bridging the Gap Between Quantitative Outcrop Studies and Subsurface Reservoir Characterization”
Sophie Warny, associate professor/AASP chair in palynology, Louisiana State University: “Evolution of Antarctic Vegetation Cover from the Paleocene to the Pliocene: A Review of Case Studies from the Antarctic Peninsula, the Ross Sea, the Sabrina Coast and the Dry Valleys”