UW taps longtime oil and gas advocate Obermueller to lead School of Energy Resources

The University of Wyoming has appointed Pete Obermueller, the current president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, as the new executive director of the School of Energy Resources. This leadership transition places a veteran oil and gas advocate at the helm of the state’s primary energy research institute, which focuses on industry-driven economic development and applied technology. The appointment is expected to bridge the gap between academic research and the practical needs of the energy sector as the state navigates evolving regulatory and market landscapes.

The University of Wyoming selected Pete Obermueller in June to serve as the next executive director of the School of Energy Resources (SER), with his tenure beginning this fall. Obermueller, a Wyoming native with a background in public policy, has spent over seven years as the president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW) and previously served in key legislative roles for U.S. Representatives Cynthia Lummis and Barbara Cubin. He takes over from acting director Scott Quillinan, following the departure of Holly Krutka, who led the school for nearly six years.

Obermueller’s appointment is viewed as a strategic move to align the SER’s research with the practical requirements of the oil and gas industry. The school’s Centers of Excellence focus on critical geologic research to determine the location and accessibility of Wyoming’s resources, particularly in exploratory areas where the full extent of oil and gas deposits remains unknown. Obermueller pointed to the school's measurable impacts in the Upper Green River Basin and its ongoing research into extracting valuable minerals from produced water as examples of how SER adds value to the state's existing energy production.

As the new head of SER, Obermueller plans to leverage his policy expertise to navigate the complex relationship between energy research and political advocacy. He emphasized that the school’s mission is rooted in energy-driven economic development, utilizing applied research to create new techniques and materials that make Wyoming’s energy sources more efficient and sustainable. Despite his history with the petroleum industry, Obermueller expressed a commitment to a holistic energy approach, stating that technological innovation is necessary across all energy sources to meet skyrocketing global demand and overcome local power constraints.