Petty Enters Hall of Distinction

December 8, 2024

The Jackson School of Geosciences inducted longtime supporter Scott Petty Jr. into its Hall of Distinction in spring 2024.

Petty and his family are champions of geophysics at The University of Texas at Austin. They have generously supported the school in a number of ways, most recently establishing a new endowment, the Scott Petty Jr. Endowed Chair, to support the director of the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics.

Previously Petty established the Scott Petty Marine Geology and Geophysics Fund and donated a research boat, the Scott and Eleanor Petty Coastal Research Vessel, to be used for the Marine Geology and Geophysics field camp and the Rapid Response program. Petty also established a maintenance fund for the boat and continues to actively participate in the field camp program by attending student presentations and providing advice and support. He also continues to contribute to the O. Scott Petty Geophysical Fund, which was established by his father.

Although not an alumnus of the Jackson School, Petty received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in petroleum engineering from UT, and his family has long ties to it. His father served on the advisory council from 1955 to 1969, and was then elected an honorary life member. Scott Petty Jr. joined the council and served from 1969 to 1990. He has also served as a leader of many professional organizations, including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the Association of Professional Engineers, the Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, the Geophysical Society of Houston, the South Texas Geological Society, and the Texas Land & Mineral Owners Association.

Petty joins his father, who was inducted into the Hall of Distinction in 2016, the first father-and-son members.

“Every day as I walk into the dean’s office, I see the name plaques for each member of our Hall of Distinction and I silently acknowledge the important ways that this special group has demonstrated, through their distinguished careers and commitment to the school, the best qualities of what we hope for in the future leaders we teach,” said Dean Claudia Mora. “With all of Scott’s active support for geophysics across the school — and most importantly for the Institute for Geophysics — he is highly deserving of being a member of the Hall of Distinction.”