Industry-Rice Earth Science Symposia (IRESS) - Vision for IRESS I

 

Vision: The energy industry and academia have overlapping research interests in many Earth Science topics, and both groups stand to benefit from symbiotic interactions. Based on this premise, the Department of Earth Science at Rice University is initiating a two-day series of annual symposia, titled the "Industry-Rice Earth Science Symposia." The format seeks to engage all participants to promote the exchange of information and knowledge on issues at the forefront of Earth Science research, in particular those that relate to energy. This will be developed through a program of keynote lectures, group discussions, and poster presentations, with participation open to all academic and industry scientists.

An important component of the symposia series will be an advisory committee consisting of industry representatives and members of the Earth Science faculty at Rice University. The advisory committee will develop the science themes and design the program for each symposium. Themes can vary in any individual symposium and year-to-year. The advisory committee will be responsible for the following principal tasks:

  1. Choosing the science theme(s) of each year’s symposium
  2. Identifying keynote speakers and other guest lecturers or discussion leaders
  3. Accepting contributed talks and posters, as well as selecting the interactive informational and social 
formats (e.g., panel discussions, poster sessions, break-out groups, synthesis sessions, social opportunities, etc.)

Objectives: A cooperative alignment between academic and industry scientists will foster communication on topics of mutual interest, and the energy industry is expected to play a prominent role in designing the nature of each symposia, rather than Rice scientists directing topics through a consortium. Energy companies will benefit from participation through direct contact with leading academics, exposure to innovative research topics and science methods, and recruiting access to early career scientists who are interested in industry employment. Additionally, academic scientists will gain a better understanding for the science and research needs of the energy industry, and will meet sponsors for future science investigations.