Governance

Kate Hadley Baker retired in 2010 from BP America in Houston, Texas. Her career has spanned many areas among the geoscience and engineering disciplines, including geotechnical, drilling, and reservoir engineering; geology; geophysics; and formation evaluation. Baker started her career at Exxon Production Research Company, working as a research geologist, becoming supervisory geologist in the Reservoir Description Section. She then moved from senior to district geologist positions in Exxon’s Offshore Division, then to head of formation evaluation at Exxon Company USA. After serving in various managerial roles at BP and its predecessor companies, she became distinguished advisor and director of new well delivery in BP’s Upstream Technology Function, serving also during 2009–10 as Vann Fellow to Princeton University. Among many professional volunteer positions, she has served on the US Department of Energy (DOE)/Office of Basic Energy Sciences Council on Earth Sciences, and on Geoscience and Science and Technology Center proposal review panels with the US National Science Foundation. She recently chaired annual peer reviews for the US DOE Geothermal Technologies Program Office. Currently, she is secretary of the American Rock Mechanics Association and Treasurer of the SPE Foundation. In her association with SPE, Baker is proudest of helping nurture it as an international organization, as a participant in the digital age, and as custodian of international reserves and resources definitions. She earned a BS degree in geology and a PhD in geophysics—both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, Treasurer of the Women’s Sailing Association at the Houston Yacht Club, and a member of the University of Arkansas Chemical Engineering Department’s Industrial and Professional Advisory Council. For AIME, she also served two years as Treasurer, partnering with AIME's Executive Director to make significant process improvements in that area.