Awards & Scholarships

C. Susan Howes is Vice President of Engineering at Subsurface Consultants & Associates LLC in Houston where she maintains technical quality standards for consulting, training, and direct hire recruitment. Additionally, she participates in the direction, administration, and coordination of SCA's operations, manages technical projects, and serves as the company's primary liaison to the engineering community through her continued involvement in the SPE and other organizations. A 1982 Petroleum Engineering Bachelor of Science graduate of the University of Texas at Austin in the USA, Howes joined Anadarko Petroleum as a summer engineering intern. She held roles of increasing responsibility at Anadarko over 25 years in reservoir engineering, business development, corporate engineering and HR. Her tenure at Anadarko including roles such as Learning and Organizational Development Manager, Employment Manager, Engineering Training and Recruiting Manager, Engineering Recruitment and Development Supervisor and Senior Staff Engineer. She is formerly Reservoir Management Consultant at Chevron, with a prior assignment as Manager of the Horizons Program. Howes led the Chevron UT Petroleum Engineering Recruiting Team, served as Chevron Women’s Network President and Vice President, and served on Chevron’s Society of Women Engineers Steering Team. Howes is recognized an industry leader in petro-technical talent attraction, development and retention. She has coauthored more than twenty papers and articles on the topics of uncertainty management, risk management, and talent management for SPE conferences and publications. She is an invited speaker and author on a variety of technical and business topics, including Reservoir Management, Reserves, Business Development, Ethics, Diversity/Inclusion, Employee Retention, Leadership, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Work/Life Balance, Dual Career Couples, Career Management, Mentoring, Workforce Trends, Petroleum Engineering Education and Networking. Howes currently chairs the University of Texas Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Distinguished Alumni Committee, she serves on the Colorado School of Mines Petroleum Engineering Department Program Advisory Board, and she is a member of the Board Development Committee for San Jacinto Council Board of Directors of Girl Scouts. Howes is a member of SPE, SWE, AAPG and HGS. As a high school student, Howes received the SPE Gulf Coast Section (GCS) scholarship. Howes served in several roles on the GCS Board, including Chair, Director, Membership, Secretary, Vice Chair, Past Chair (1997-2006). Howes has held a variety of leadership roles in the GCS including Members in Transition Committee Chair (2015 – 18), the GCS Scholarship Committee including Chair and co-taught the GCS Oil Patch Orientation. She currently serves on the SPE US Advisory Council, and she served on the SPE Advisory committees for three Technical Directors (Reservoir Description and Dynamics, Management and Information, and Academia) during 2016-2018. She represented the Gulf Coast Region North America on SPE International Board, (2006-09), including the SPE Board Subcommittee on Membership, including Chair (2006-09) and the SPE Board Finance and Administrative Committee (2007-09). Howes served on SPE standing committees including SPE Soft Skills Committee including Chair (2011-16), SPE Faculty Recruitment Award Standing Committee (2013-15), SPE Talent Council Member including Chair (2009-12), Young Professionals Coordinating Committee Mentor and Ex-Officio (2006-15), SPE Young Member Outstanding Service Award Standing Committee (2005-08), SPE International Monograph Committee including Chair (2005-08), and SPE International Membership Standing Committee including Chair (2000-03). Howes served on several SPE conference program committees including "Bridging the Gap between Academia and the Oil and Gas Industry: Developing the Next Generation of Engineers and Geoscientists Forum" (2016-17), SPE 2013 Forum "2020 Foresight – Ensuring Educational Excellence for Upstream Engineering Resources" (2014), "Building Organizational Capabilities for the Future: Challenges and Strategies"(2013) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, "International Professionals in Energy Conference - Empowering Women Leadership"(2012) in Kuwait, "E&P Human Capital Management: A Certain Business in Uncertain Times," (2009) Dubai, UAE, SPE International Colloquium on Petroleum Engineering Education including co-Chair (2002-2008), "Dual Career Couples: Lifelong Challenges and a Business Imperative", (2007), Sainte Maxime, France, "HR Strategy Workshop: Attraction and Retention to the E&P Business", Co-chair (2007)Abu Dhabi, UAE. Howes served on several advisory committees, workgroups and taskforces including SPE Connect Work Group Expansion (2016), SPE Advisory Committee for Reservoir Description and Dynamics member(2016-18), SPE Petrobowl Workgroup, (2013-15), SPE Task Force on Volunteer Recognition Standing Committee (2010 to 13), SPE Task Force to Address the Challenges Facing PE Departments In Attracting, Developing and Retaining Faculty (2010-15), SPE Leadership Advisory Task Force (2009-10), including nomination as Distinguished Lecturer on Ethics, SPE Online Communities Task Force Advisor (2009-12). Howes has won several SPE awards including the DeGolyer Distinguished Service Medal (2016), Exemplary Volunteer Award - GCS (2016, 2014), International Distinguished Service Award (2005), International Distinguished Member (2003), Regional Service Award - Gulf Coast North America Region (2003), Section Service Award - GCS (2017, 2001), and International Young Member Outstanding Service Award (1997).