Gus Archie Memorial Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Society of Petroleum Engineers
Overview
The Gus Archie Memorial Scholarship, funded by the SPE Foundation, supports an exceptional student who plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. The award provides USD 5,000 per year, renewable for up to four undergraduate years.
Eligibility (merit-based)
- Awardees are generally among the top 3% of their class and score in the top 3% on standardized tests.
- Intend to enroll in an accredited undergraduate petroleum engineering program in your country or region.
- Agree to join SPE when you become eligible for membership.
- Comply with the SPE sanction policy.
- Complete the required online application process (only submissions made through the designated application link are considered; submissions in other formats will be disqualified).
Requirements if selected (ongoing)
If you receive the scholarship, you must meet these conditions each semester:
- Be registered in a petroleum engineering course by the start of your second university year.
- Continue in a petroleum engineering degree program.
- Carry at least two-thirds of a full academic course load.
- Maintain a satisfactory semester and cumulative academic average.
How to apply and timeline
- Applications open annually on 15 November and close on 15 April.
- Submit the online application form by noon CDT (UTC−5) on 15 April.
- Provide at least one recommendation letter and any required documentation for entrance exams, where applicable.
- Judges evaluate eligible applications and announce recipients on 1 August.
- Award payments are issued in August to support the upcoming academic term.
- By submitting an application you will also be automatically considered for any other SPE scholarships or fellowships for which you meet eligibility criteria.
Important note on residency and sanctions
U.S. law restricts certain services to people living in embargoed countries. As a result, not all applicants may be eligible for the Gus Archie Scholarship program. Read the applicable guidance for details.
About Gustave (Gus) E. Archie (1907–1978)
Gustave E. Archie was a pioneer in formation evaluation whose quantitative work linking porosity, electrical resistivity, and hydrocarbon saturation established the basis for modern log interpretation. His influential paper, “The Electrical Resistivity Log as an Aid in Determining Some Reservoir Characteristics” (Transactions of AIME, 1942), is considered a landmark in petroleum technology. Archie introduced the term “petrophysics” and the relationship he derived is widely known as the “Archie Formula.”
A Wisconsin native, Archie earned BS degrees in mining and electrical engineering and completed an MS in mining engineering at the University of Wisconsin in 1933. He joined Shell Oil Company in 1934 as a Production Department trainee in the mid-continent United States. After many field roles, he became chief logging engineer in Shell’s Technical Services Division in 1951, advanced to assistant manager of Production Technical Services in 1956, and in 1958 was appointed manager of the Exploitation Engineering Department in Shell Development Co.’s E&P Research Division. He became assistant to the vice president of that division in June 1966 and retired on November 1, 1967.
Archie received the SPE Lester C. Uren Award in 1964 and the AIME Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal in 1978 in recognition of his pioneering contributions. He is remembered both as an outstanding engineer and as a respected colleague and teacher.