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Portrait of Impact: Dr. Robert Stern, Dedicated Geoscientist

Dr. Robert Stern

Geoscientists Create Hub for Learning

The Permian Basin Research Laboratory is located in the Research and Operations Center at UT Dallas.
The Permian Basin Research Laboratory is located in the Research and Operations Center at UT Dallas.

Dr. Robert Stern has been a professor of geosciences at The University of Texas at Dallas for over 40 years. Since his arrival, Stern has been dedicated to creating new labs and learning opportunities for students in the Department of Sustainable Earth Systems Sciences within the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Together with Lowell Waite, a lecturer at UTD and Permian Basin geology expert, Stern started the Permian Basin Research Lab (PBRL). Their goal is to help students understand where the Permian Basin is, how it formed, why almost half of U.S.-produced oil comes from there and how important the area is to local economies and U.S. energy independence.

“To me, 21st century challenges are fundamentally about energy,” Stern said. “Civilization is based on energy, and getting enough energy is increasingly challenging. We’re going to run out of cheap oil, and the climate crisis demands that we transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy.”

The laboratory supports activities of graduate students enrolled in the Geology of the Permian Basin course taught annually by Waite. His class focuses on the structural framework of the region and the petroleum systems found there. Waite also teaches a course on petroleum geoscience. Some students enrolled in these classes complete research projects addressing various problems in the Permian Basin and go on to internships or jobs with energy companies.

Clint Crowley, a geosciences PhD candidate, stands with his artwork describing various sedimentary basins in the United States.
Clinton Crowley, a geosciences PhD candidate, stands with his artwork describing various sedimentary basins in the United States.

“The Permian Basin Research Lab is unique because we are not an oil company,” Stern said. “We’re not drilling wells, and nothing we do is secret. We take donations, but we don’t do contracts with big companies. We’re just a bunch of geoscientists who want to teach and learn about the Permian Basin.”

The team is committed to providing a resource that future generations can build upon to address a wider set of topics including environmental challenges and solar energy. 

Stern also serves as director of the UTD Geoscience Studio (GSS), a place where students and faculty create educational animations and videos about geoscientific processes. Stern noticed that many students learn better when taught with video, so he created the studio in 2016 to teach students how to make their own videos. Some of these and other videos are available on the GSS YouTube channel.

“Students need to be supported so they can succeed in the real world,” Stern said. “They are much better prepared with adequate training and knowledge about the field they are considering getting into. If we had more financial support, nearly all of it would go to supporting students as research assistants. The rest would go toward new equipment for those students to use.”

Although Stern says he has no plans to retire anytime soon, he hopes his labs live on without him.

“I know very well that it’s not a good idea unless somebody else wants to take it over after you leave,” Stern said. “My dream is to grow both PBRL and GSS and for them to continue to grow in the future.”