UW Landman Student Wins National Outstanding Graduate Honor

For the second year in a row, a student in the University of Wyoming’s Professional Land Management Program has been named “outstanding graduate” by the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL).

Jared Adams, of Lyons, Colo., was selected by the trustees of AAPL as the top graduate among nominees from all accredited professional land management programs nationwide. He will graduate this year and already has a job lined up with Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

A 2018 UW graduate, Sam Mallory, of Cheyenne, received the honor last year.

“The energy industry recognizes that the faculty and staff at UW have put together a world-class educational program, and Jared’s accomplishments are helping to shine this spotlight on it,” says Mallory, now a land representative with Shell Oil Co. “Despite being one of the smallest, UW’s Professional Land Management Program is being recognized as the best, and the industry wants to hire graduates from it.”

Adams says the program’s courses “provide a fantastic foundation of difficult concepts often found within energy disciplines.

“The feedback our program continually receives from industry is that our students and graduates are capable of contributing in meaningful ways due to the knowledge gained from our curriculum,” he says. “Among AAPL-accredited programs, I’m thankful that I attended the program here at UW. I look forward to applying the topics we've learned in the classroom toward real-world and dynamic projects of the modern energy industry.”

The UW program, launched in 2012 by the School of Energy Resources (SER), is among 12 such programs accredited across North America. Others are located at the University of Oklahoma, Texas Tech University, West Virginia University and the University of Texas-Austin, among others.

SER developed the program, in partnership with the Wyoming Association of Professional Landmen and the energy industry, in part to meet an increasing demand for well-trained land professionals with specific knowledge of Western land issues, culture, heritage and environment. The program includes coursework in business, geology, law, engineering and math, with opportunities for practical application. It emphasizes direct industry experience through internships, collaborations with practicing professional landmen and attorneys, field trips and other interactions with the energy sector.

“Another strong element of our program is the close connection that we maintain with industry,” Adams says. “We regularly have industry professionals visit campus to provide educational discussions, as well as recruit for jobs and internships. In my case, an on-campus interview for a summer internship ultimately led to a full-time position upon graduation.”

“The most important thing the University of Wyoming’s program offered me was a skill set that was directly applicable to my postgraduate career,” Mallory says. “The multidisciplinary, integrated coursework in business, law, negotiation, GIS, geology, finance, engineering, economics, risk analysis and project management gave me the critical-thinking skills necessary to face today’s energy challenges. The extracurricular activities with research teams, industry professionals and student groups provided me with the leadership skills, communication skills and a network to develop a career. The University of Wyoming provided me with a truly holistic educational experience and gave me the opportunity to enter the energy industry as a professional.”

Landmen have a vital role in maintaining sound stewardship of energy and mineral resources. They determine land ownership and availability for mineral leasing; negotiate agreements with landowners for drilling and production rights; draft and administer contracts with the assistance of corporate counsel; coordinate workflow with geologists and engineers; and ensure compliance with government regulations.