Geoscience Enrollment Down Nearly 30%: AAPG Launches New Student Campaign to Protect the Future Energy Workforce

AAPG rolls out new chapter kits, relaunches the Imperial Barrel Award, and urges industry to invest in future geoscientists and the innovations that power tomorrow's energy systems.

TULSA, Okla., Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the world races to scale nuclear, geothermal, low-carbon and traditional energy systems, the pipeline of geoscientists needed to make that future possible is shrinking fast. U.S. geoscience enrollment has fallen by roughly 30% since its peak in 2015, according to data from the American Geosciences Institute.

In response, the AAPG, one of the world's largest and long-standing geoscience communities, founded in 1917, is launching a suite of initiatives for students and young professionals. These programs are designed to spark renewed interest in geoscience careers and support students and young professionals as they move from university into the workforce. They also help people apply petroleum geoscience skills across emerging energy fields like geothermal, energy storage, carbon sequestration, lithium brines, critical minerals, uranium, hydrogen, and more, while reducing financial barriers to training, networking, and professional development.

The initiative includes:

• A new AAPG Student Chapter Kit to help university students launch and grow high-impact geoscience chapters on campus.
• A reinvigoration of AAPG's long-standing Imperial Barrel Award (IBA) Program, including plans to return to in-person events for the first time in years.
• A global sponsorship and "Gift a Membership" campaign to ensure that any student who wants to join AAPG and access its opportunities can do so, even if they cannot afford dues.
• Free access to AAPG's new career path accelerator virtual series, giving students and professionals an understanding of today's hiring market and practical guidance on resume writing and interviewing.

"Strengthening the student and early-career pipeline is one of my highest priorities," says AAPG President Brian Horn. "We need more students choosing geoscience and we need to support them from their first semester through their first job years. The Imperial Barrel Award is a cornerstone of that effort. It is one of the most rigorous and transformative experiences in geoscience education. Reenergizing IBA and expanding support for students and young professionals is how we help secure the future of the field."

Student Chapter Kit: A Launchpad for Future Energy Leaders

Student chapters often serve as the first touchpoint for future geoscientists. They introduce students to technical pathways, industry mentors, and professional networks long before graduation. The new kit provides the structure and guidance needed to make these chapters thrive.

AAPG's new Student Chapter Kit is a free, ready-to-use resource designed to help university students launch or reinvigorate an AAPG Student Chapter on their campus. The kit is built to give students a clear starting point, practical tools, and a sense of connection to viable careers and to one of the largest geoscience communities in the world.

The kit includes:

• A programs guide outlining AAPG-hosted educational and event opportunities
• Messaging and talking points that help students communicate the value and impact of geoscience
• Guidance from AAPG leadership and past chapter leaders, including strategies for recruitment and engagement
• An officer role and leadership guide to help students gain organizational and real-world leadership experience
• Connections to AAPG young professionals who can support student chapters and offer mentoring

With these tools, students can create a chapter that brings energy awareness to campus, organizes technical events, and connects members to global geoscience opportunities.

Imperial Barrel Award: Re-Energizing a Flagship Global Program

AAPG is also reinvigorating the Imperial Barrel Award (IBA), a globally recognized competition where geoscience students work with real-world subsurface datasets provided by generous industry partners. The data sets focus on problems in petroleum, geothermal, and carbon sequestration. The experience is fully funded for students and remains one of the most practical ways to prepare for early-career technical roles.

Student teams are already forming for the 2026 cycle, and AAPG has launched a campaign to secure the $540,000 needed to deliver the program. Funding supports data management, mentoring, university outreach, regional and global competitions, travel support, and scholarship and departmental financial awards for participating teams.

"Bringing students back together in person is not just symbolic. It is how we help them grow into the professionals our industry needs," says Executive Director Tom Wilker. "Shared problem-solving, debate, and presenting to experts build the technical maturity and networks that define their early careers."

Industry partners interested in supporting the 2026 IBA program, contributing datasets, or funding student participation are encouraged to contact AAPG. 

Investing in Students Strengthens the Future Geoscience Workforce

Across AAPG's global community, many students and young professionals are waiting for sponsorship so they can join AAPG and fully participate in programs like the Imperial Barrel Award, student chapters, mentoring networks, and technical training.

AAPG is launching an expanded Gift a Membership and member-sponsorship drive to make that possible.

• A ten-dollar gift can sponsor an individual student's membership to AAPG and give them immediate access to technical content, community, and early-career resources.
• Larger corporate investments can fund entire student cohort memberships, support travel for IBA teams, and sustain multi-year programming at universities around the world.
• Both levels of support are essential to building a strong, diverse, and well-prepared geoscience workforce.

AAPG invites energy companies, service firms, technology providers, and individuals to support these efforts through membership sponsorships, program funding, and advertising within AAPG. These contributions expand access for students and young professionals and strengthen the programs that prepare them for early-career success.

About AAPG

Founded in 1917, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is one of the world's largest geoscience communities, committed to advancing the understanding of the Earth and supporting the professionals who apply that knowledge across energy, environment, and public benefit. AAPG's members work across every part of the subsurface, from oil and gas to geothermal, nuclear waste storage, CCUS, groundwater, mining, major infrastructure development, and more. Through technical research, education, global events, renowned publications such as the Bulletin, and student and early-career programs, AAPG helps build and sustain the workforce that makes modern energy systems possible and ensures the world has the geoscience expertise it needs for decades to come.

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SOURCE AAPG