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Objective

SPE coordinates 14 regional student paper contests at the Undergraduate, Master's, and PhD level. Students compete against other students from their region for the opportunity to advance to the International Student Paper Contest, held during the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE).

The following role is available for volunteers for the Canada Region Student Paper Contest:

• Presentation Judges (Masters and PhD division)
• Judges will a stable internet connection to listen to, and judge the presentations by the finalists from the Abstract phase. The winner of the combined division will participate the International Competition and be awarded USD 500.  

We are currently seeking a minimum of three judges.

Competition Overview

The Latin America and Caribbean Regional Student Paper Contest is organized to provide SPE Student Members residing in the Latin America and Caribbean Region the opportunity to present original ideas pertaining to the Petroleum Industry. The competition is open to any SPE Student Member in the region, including but not limited to members from the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

There must be a minimum of three contestants in order for a division to take place, and in the absence of enough participates the Masters and PhD divisions may be combined. Students will have a total of 20 minutes to present and 10 minutes for questions from the judges.

The competition is scheduled to take place on Saturday 15 May 2021 from 13:00 to 16:00 on Zoom, UTC-6. 

Eligibility

SPC volunteers must be:

• Approved by the SPE Staff responsible for the organization of the contest
• An SPE member in good standing (renewed membership for 2021)
• Judges must hold a minimum at master’s degree or have equivalent work experience.
• Judges must have a stable internet connect, and a computer equip with a microphone and webcam.
• Preferred previous experience in:
• Similar style contests
• Presenting at SPE Conferences
• Program selection committees for SPE Conferences
• Post-Secondary Faculty Member
• Personal interest in developing university students
• Effective communicator

Expectations

Regional Competition Judge Expectations:

• Read and review papers a maximum of four technical papers submitted by the students prior to the competition. (Papers will be distributed on Monday 10 May).
• Participate on the day of the contest to observe the presentations and score the students based on the criteria provided
• Ask any questions of the student following the presentation
• Discuss any tie-breaker situations with the other judges to agree on a winner
• Provide students with feedback to assist them with the continuous development of their presentation skills
• Participate in debriefing session(s) as requested following the contest

Time Commitment