An Ambidextrous Approach to Thinking
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July 19, 2013
“It doesn’t matter how bright you are if no one can understand your ideas,” said Deborah Hempel-Medina. “How you communicate is a reflection of who you are, whether talking to a friend, responding to an interview question, or presenting in front of a group of peers.”
A 1993 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) Department, Hempel-Medina returned to her alma mater this past fall as a lecturer teaching PGE 333T, Engineering Communication, a class required for all undergraduate UT PGE students, and a traditionally dreaded course in the major sequence. With a Master’s of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and 19 years of industry experience in tow, Hempel-Medina set to work reimagining the Engineering Communication course.
Unlike most classes in the UT PGE sequence, Engineering Communication is a non-equation based class. Commas link clauses, not strings of numbers. Not only is talking in class allowed, it’s encouraged—each lecture begins with a handful of short, impromptu presentations or “drills” on topics ranging from conversational to professional. These drills parlay public speaking fears into practical hands-on experience, allowing students to develop their confidence as a public speaker before diving into graded technical presentations.
Hempel-Medina also integrates elements of professional development, engineering ethics, and technical writing into the curriculum, specifically gearing the course toward helping students market themselves as engineers.
“I try to incorporate as much real world knowledge into the classroom as possible, by bringing in speakers from industry who have had a significant impact on the petroleum engineering profession, or by facilitating ethics discussions about hot topics in the news related to energy,” said Hempel-Medina. “It is my goal that by the time the students leave my class, they are comfortable not only with all forms of technical communication, but expressing their thoughts to anyone, from a recruiter to a co-worker.”
Hempel-Medina’s practical and enthusiastic approach to teaching has made her a fast student favorite.
“I wasn’t expecting much when I first started the Engineering Communication class,” said sophomore Brandon Hilts, who took Hempel-Medina’s class this past fall. “But it became clear early on how relevant Mrs. Hempel-Medina’s knowledge from industry was to the classroom.”
A non-traditional student, Hilts worked for 15 years as a roughneck in Midland before coming to the UT PGE department to pursue his bachelor’s degree. Without experiencing an office setting, he was unfamiliar with the business side of the oil and gas industry and had a self-declared fear of public speaking.
Over the 2012-2013 winter break, Hilts had the opportunity to participate in a three-week internship with Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Oxy). At the end of his internship he was asked to give a presentation to a room full of company executives. Hilts spent hours preparing for the presentation and applying the knowledge he learned in Hempel-Medina’s class. After completing the presentation, Oxy was so impressed by his skills they doubled the salary for his upcoming summer internship. The pay bump was crucial for Hilts, who juggles a family with going to school.
Within a few months of completing the Engineering Communication class, Hilts also won first place in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Gulf Coast Regional Paper Contest, a competition where participants present their research findings in front of a panel of industry professionals. Hilts beat out 11 other bachelor’s level students from neighboring schools in the Gulf Coast Region including Texas A&M, Louisiana State University and Texas Tech to win first prize. He will be the first bachelor’s student from UT PGE to compete in the SPE International Contest since 2008. Hilts described his win at the SPE Gulf Coast Regional Contest as a testament to the value of Hempel-Medina’s class.
“Engineering Communication is one of the most important and relevant classes to succeeding in the industry,” said Hilts. “Now I’m confident I could present in front of a top faculty member and feel great, but before I couldn’t stand in front of my own peers without getting nervous.”
In the spring Hempel-Medina won the 2013 Faculty Appreciation Week Award for UT PGE. Students in the UT PGE department submitted nominations for this award, with the winner determined solely by the student body, demonstrating that Hempel-Medina’s passion and experience are translating into students growing an affinity for the newly minted Engineering Communication course.
With a successful first year under her belt, Hempel-Medina is even more excited to continue equipping the next generation of petroleum engineers with the skills they need to be successful leaders in industry, namely, how to communicate confidently and effectively as they navigate the future of the energy sector.
