A quintet of graduate students from The University of Texas at Dallas’ Department of Geosciences has won the Southwest Section of the Imperial Barrel Award (IBA) competition, an annual event sponsored by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. With the win, the team advances to the global finals in June. “The competition gives you hands-on experience performing tasks that you would have to perform in a real industry job,” Willis said. “The Imperial Barrel Award competition not only gives UT Dallas geosciences students the chance to learn more about the science of oil exploration, it also immerses them in a very intense team-building exercise,” Stern said. “The Imperial Barrel Award competition not only gives UT Dallas geosciences students the chance to learn more about the science of oil exploration, it also immerses them in a very intense team-building exercise.