Choosing a path
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Boone Pickens School of Geology doctoral candidate Ibukun Bode-Omoleye visited several schools before settling on Oklahoma State University. She was even more excited to work with adviser Michael Grammer.
“During my master’s thesis, I knew I wanted to do a Ph.D.,” Bode said. “I kept looking further into my research, and I kept wanting to do more. I discussed with my advisor at University of Texas-Permian Basin, and we found that my research interests would be a great fit with Dr. Grammer here at OSU. I interviewed with him, visited the OSU campus and fell in love with it, and here I am.”
Bode grew up in Akure, Nigeria, in the southwest region of the country. She completed her undergraduate degree in Nigeria before coming to the United States and gaining her master’s degree at UTPB.
Bode is in her fourth year as a Ph.D. student. She studies the pores in carbonate rocks.
“I look at how the pores form, how they’re connected and how fluid flows through them because that’s the main form of storage for fluid in rocks, and that includes gas, oil, water and any resources that pores can hold,” Bode said. “For instance, in unconventional petroleum reservoirs, the pores are really small. We have to look at them in very high resolution to understand the architecture, fluid flow and importantly how to predict their distribution.
Bode uses several imaging and physical techniques to look at the pores in carbonate rocks, including optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, micro-CT scans and nuclear magnetic resonance.
Over her years at OSU, Bode has started to tie her work together. She is working on the third piece of her research which will be in collaboration with the NanoEarth Lab at Virginia Tech.
“That’s one of the great parts about the Boone Pickens School of Geology,” Bode said. “We are really encouraged to collaborate. With integrated research, we use different methods to understand the geology of our rocks. We also collaborate with other schools because that’s what it takes to be successful in today’s scientific community.”
In February, Bode received her second grant from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. With the second grant, she was able to sustain external funding for her research.
“It was a validation of my previous results, but I needed to continue my research,” Bode said. “I was more excited this year than I was the first time.”
Bode already has full-time job and internship offers even before completing her doctorate. She credits Grammer for pushing her to be the best version of herself.
“I moved here because I wanted to work with him and I haven’t been disappointed in any way,” Bode said. “He has very high standards and that is so helpful. He expects a lot from us but provides us with the tools to succeed. He is a mentor who pays attention to our overall well-being, and doesn’t just expect research and output.”
For more information on the Boone Pickens School of Geology, visit geology.okstate.edu.