As a senior studying geophysics at Binghamton University in upstate New York, Emily Cook has already learned quite a bit about geothermal energy. She worked on several geothermal energy projects and marveled at their potential, but she wanted to learn more.
Then she heard about a unique event being held in the geothermal epicenter of Nevada’s Great Basin, where geothermal power plants are operating in a region teeming with geothermal potential. That prompted Cook to attend the GEODE George Stutz Student Days, a three-day event designed to empower the next generation of geothermal subject matters experts.
“I find the industry super energetic,” Cook said. “Geothermal has a lot of push behind it right now and I think being able to meet people at a conference like this that are so excited about it and come from all different backgrounds, to be able to come together to hear where the industry is going is really cool.”
Cook was one of the students who attended Student Days, held July 31 – August 2, 2025, at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The event brought graduate and undergraduate students together to learn about the shared challenges and opportunities in the oil and gas (O&G) and geothermal sectors. The event also served as a space for students from numerous disciplines – including engineering, geophysics, policy, finance, and more – to meet each other and establish relationships they can lean on in the future and create a network of subject matter experts who understand the shared challenges and opportunities in the geothermal and O&G sectors.
“I was struck by how quickly they connected with one another, building networks that will serve them well throughout their careers,” said Cary Lindsey, a research scientist at the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy at UNR. “What impressed me most was how generously they shared their ideas, sparking meaningful conversations that will strengthen their individual projects and inspire broader collaboration.”
Lindsey delivered one of the keynote speeches focused on the geothermal workforce of the future titled “Powering Geothermal: The People Behind the Projects.” She explained the wide range of skills and expertise required to bring geothermal projects to life. Roberto Wagner, a subsurface manager at XGS Energy delivered the other keynote speech, “From Hydrocarbons to Heat: How Oil and Gas Skills are Powering Geothermal Innovation.” Wagner highlighted how O&G expertise is accelerating geothermal development and used his journey to show the students how this shift is happening.
Jackson Grimes, director of global engagement for Project InnerSpace and a key coordinator of GEODE, said the keynote speeches and discussions throughout the event showed students the myriad ways they can thrive in the geothermal energy sector.
“For many attendees, especially those unsure of how they might contribute to the field, the event illuminated clear and tangible pathways into the industry,” Grimes said. “Regardless of where students were in their academic journeys, one message stood out: there is a place for them in the rapidly evolving geothermal sector.”
Then the students took charge. Over two days, they spent hours in breakout sessions discussing key topics in the frontier between O&G and geothermal industries. With the support and insights of the professionals organizing the event, the students discussed entrepreneurship, workforce growth, addressing regulatory barriers and capital risk, repurposing O&G knowledge for the geothermal sector, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) applications in the geothermal sector, and next-generation geothermal technologies.
Loic Bethel Dje, a PhD candidate at Oklahoma State University, said those breakout sessions elevated Student Days from a traditional educational “bootcamp” to a more engaging, insightful forum for discussions.
“It’s so amazing to see how each person in different industries, we’re kind of working on the same things, we’re dealing with the same issues,” he said. “We can talk with elders in the field, but most importantly, we’re sharing ideas. That makes the world better because our minds are into it, and our passion is into it. Leaving here, we have a clearer vision.”
Students also had the opportunity to present their research to the group. One by one, students took the stage at UNR to present the work they’ve been doing in their respective fields. Vincent Amponsah, a master’s student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, explained a mathematical model he’s developing to improve the conversion of end-of-lifetime hydrocarbon wells into geothermal wells. Gbenga Awojinrin, a master’s student at Texas A&M University, presented his research to enhance subsurface simulation models through AI, applying physics-informed ML to reduce the time and cost of those models, valid for both O&G and geothermal applications. Amjd Al Rahbi, a student from Colorado School of Mines, talked about how to synergize O&G expertise with geothermal innovation, feeding from his experience in the O&G industry. And Janine Imperial, a master’s student at UNR, previewed her upcoming research that has identified wastewater as a potential source for geothermal energy.
Emmanuel Agyei, who’s starting a PhD program at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, marveled at the broad range of topics presented. “The starting points might be different, but each individual presented something of worth,” he said.
Stuart Deets, a PhD candidate in scientific and technical writing at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, acknowledged that many of the presentations covered complex science outside of his expertise. “But finding those snippets or moments in their presentations where I’m like, ‘OK, that’s pretty cool,’” he said.
By the end of the presentations, even the working professionals in the room learned from the students. Lindsey, the UNR research scientist, said she came away with new ideas for her research. Mahesh Jayaraman, technical and professional activities manager at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and a key GEODE coordinator, said the presentations reflected “a determination to push the boundaries of what geothermal energy can achieve.”
On the final day of Student Days, students left the classroom and embarked on a field trip around the Great Basin region to see what geothermal locations and power plants look like.
They visited the Peppermill Resort in Reno, a 2.1millionsquarefoot facility that uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling, heating the resort pool, and providing hot water for guest rooms. They also stopped at an overlook of the Steamboat Hills area, where they observed several geothermal power plants operated by Ormat and discussed the geology of the Steamboat system and its development history.
The group followed up with a trip to Virginia City, where students connected past and present. They learned how the geothermal features we see today can lead to hydrothermal ore deposits, such as Nevada’s famous Comstock Lode.
By the end of the event, the students were buzzing over what they’d seen and learned over the three days. Reenergized to return to their research, the students all expressed a sense of excitement over the bonds they created at the George Stutz Student Days.
“I think that’s a big reason that I wanted to come here, to connect with people who are going to be the future of geothermal energy,” Deets said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of technological potential for advancement here, whether that is subsurface modeling, using artificial intelligence or machine learning techniques, or continuing to improve drilling, or improving the financial modeling of these projects. There’s a lot of change that’s going on rapidly and that’s always a really exciting time because in that change, there’s a ton of potential for societal good.”
Watch the video recap highlighting the key moments of this unique event.