Carlos Dengo is Named Director of Berg Hughes Center
Dec 11, 2014
Dr. Carlos Dengo, a former student and ExxonMobil executive, has been named director of Texas A&M’s Berg-Hughes Center for Petroleum and Sedimentary Systems. He also holds the Dudley J. Hughes Endowed Chair in Geophysics and is executive professor of Geology and Geophysics.
The Berg-Hughes Center, housed in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, and part of a joint program with the Department of Petroleum Engineering, provides a cross-disciplinary approach, integrating geology, geophysics and petroleum engineering.
Dengo, a native of Costa Rica, received his master’s in 1978 and doctorate in 1982 in geology from Texas A&M. After graduation he joined Exxon Production Research Company, focusing on structural geology research and technology applications with Exxon affiliates worldwide. Increasing responsibility within Exxon, and later with ExxonMobil, gave him experience in a variety of managerial functions. He was the company’s geoscience resource operations manager worldwide before being appointed technical vice president for ExxonMobil Exploration Company in 2006 and geoscience vice president for ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company in 2008. He retired in 2012 with 30 years of service.
Dengo said he accepted the offer to be the second director of the Berg-Hughes Center because of the challenge this nation faces in developing the future workforce needed for the energy industry. He’s had a long-time interest in and has supported the College of Geosciences and Texas A&M including being a founding member of the Berg-Hughes Center.
Vision: preeminence in petroleum studies
“My vision is for the Berg-Hughes Center to be recognized as the preeminent academic and applied center for integrated petroleum studies,” he said. “We want to provide an environment that attracts internationally recognized faculty and outstanding students who are highly sought after for positions in government, academia and industry.” He points out that the collaboration with the College of Engineering’s Department of Petroleum Engineering and both colleges’ close ties with the energy industry make the Berg-Hughes Center a unique opportunity for faculty and students interested in petroleum-related research and education.
“We are delighted to welcome someone of Carlos’ caliber and experience as the director of the Berg-Hughes Center,” said Kate Miller, dean of the College of Geosciences. “Carlos brings the vision, energy and industry insight we need to continue the momentum for this program.”
Dengo received his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University, which honored him in 2009 with the Winchell Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Earth Sciences. He has received best paper awards from the U.S. National Rock Mechanics Committee and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). He has also served as an AAPG International Distinguished Lecturer.
Service to the college
Until his appointment as Berg-Hughes Center director, Dengo served on the College of Geosciences Advisory Board for six years and had previously served on the Advisory Council of the Department of Geology and Geophysics.
He is an active member of the development board of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the Geoscience Research Foundation External Advisory Board at Sandia National Laboratories. He has also served on the Advisory Board of the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University and the Advisory Council of AAPG.
Dengo is professionally affiliated with the Geological Society of America (GSA), the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), AAPG and AGU. He will give the Michel T. Halbouty Lecture at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists’ annual meeting, April 7.
The Dudley J. Hughes Endowed Chair in Geophysics was establishedin 1998 through the generous gift of Dudley Hughes '51, a founding member of the Berg-Hughes Center.
Karen Riedel
Communications Manager
College of Geosciences
(979) 845-0910
