A promotion is what prompted a 33-year-old longtime oil industry professional at a Houston-based energy company to seek an engineering degree at Midland College, the college said in a feature recently posted to its website.
Joseph Vaughan, 33 of Austin, has moved up the career ladder at Patterson-UTI Energy for about 13 years and now is working on his bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering, according to the feature published Feb. 9. That degree will make it possible for him to move up even higher in the company, Vaughan said.
"Four years ago, I was promoted to drilling superintendent over the Permian Basin," Vaughan said. "I felt that pursuing my degree would be helpful in my efforts to continue moving up within Patterson."
Vaughan also loves working in the oil and gas industry and he particularly enjoys fieldwork.
"I've always wanted to use my field knowledge and college education to become a well-rounded and respected petroleum engineer," he said. "I constantly encourage the employees whom I supervise to pursue a similar path of higher education to better their career opportunities."
Vaughan oversees several Patterson-UTI rigs in the Permian Basin, which covers an area from Midland to Carlsbad, New Mexico, and he also has managed some of the nation's largest operators. His two-weeks-on, two-weeks-off schedule means he lives near the rigs he oversees.
"It’s not a typical job, but it works for my family and me," Vaughan said. "I first started working for Patterson in the South Texas area for nine-and-a-half years before transferring to the Permian Basin to become a drilling superintendent for the last four years," he said.
The schedule also works well for his studies and all of his Midland College courses are online.
“My plans are to transfer to the University of Texas Permian Basin or Texas Tech to finish my degree and then work on getting a master’s degree," Vaughan said.