Staff Sgt. Christopher Magliolo has
his hands in a lot of pots, and he’s fine with that.
In fact, not only is Magliolo a U.S.
Marine Corps Reservist, but he’s also a graduate research assistant entering his fourth
year at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he is earning a master’s degree
in geology.
Magliolo also is a husband and father.
At the same time, the active on-campus volunteer
also is passionate about helping military veterans navigate energy-related
professions, which he thinks are a perfect match for vets seeking to stay connected to national security-related job opportunities.
TI
News Daily recently asked Magliolo about the specific work he’s
doing at LSU as he endeavors to help give back to military veterans. The
following discussion has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Tell us a bit about your
position at LSU. Forgive the wording, but what is the need for what you do and
what is the value of that role to veterans?
A: I am a graduate research
assistant conducting thesis research on the capability of the Mississippi River
to transport sand and mud to the remaining natural floodplains within the
confines of the levee system. The scope of the project is to determine whether the
sand and mud remaining in the river will be sufficient for sediment-diversion
projects that are planned to support maintenance of the lower reaches of the
Mississippi River. The diversion projects are currently one component of
Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan.
I am also currently the treasurer
of the LSU Student Chapter of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
The organization supports geology students in their efforts to get hired,
present their research at annual expos, and remain informed of new
initiatives in the industry while specifically focusing on the role of
geologists in the industry.
My role as treasurer within
this organization includes maintaining chapter finances, directing fundraising efforts
to support students during travel for conferences, social events, providing
thank-you gifts for industry experts who conduct professional lunches, and assisting
the chapter president with alumni outreach and finding new sources of philanthropic
support for the chapter.
Q: Why are vets interested
in energy-related jobs?
A: When I considered my
options before leaving active duty, I still had more than a year before my end of
active service. There were multiple government-contracting career
opportunities at the base where I was stationed, but I was ready to move on
from the government sector. I looked at business programs, but each industry
that I was interested in was involved in the science, technology, engineering
and math fields.
Energy, particularly oil and gas exploration,
grabbed my attention. I made the decision that I wanted to be involved in the science
and operational aspects instead of the business aspects. That said, my goal in
this industry is to be able to gain the experience and credibility to be able
to use scientific observations to help make business decisions.
Other veterans I have spoken
to have had numerous reasons to move into the energy sector. Some enjoy the
challenge of finding new resources. Others see the importance of using their
skills to help create an important suite of products that provide us with a
high quality of life. And, of course, the industry can be lucrative. Considering
my personal situation as a husband and father, I wanted to find a career that
would provide a comfortable life for my family and keep me relatively close to
home.
Q: What effort does LSU put in to find veterans jobs in this sector?
A: LSU has an active
veterans organization called Student Veterans of LSU (SVLSU), which is part
of the organization Student Veterans of America. We have begun the process of
creating a group focused on veterans pursuing careers in energy exploration. Among
the student veterans at LSU, there are many students within petroleum and civil
engineering, construction management, geology and business fields.
LSU is among the primary
universities where the oil and gas industry recruits. The engineers,
geologists and managers that come from this university have a track record of
success in the industry. By combining the efforts made by SVLSU and the various
departments at LSU while bringing veterans in these fields together, we hope to
enhance the knowledge of our veterans as they go through the hiring process.
From this foundation, we hope to find student veterans who have interviewed and
interned, and alumni who have been hired in the industry. In doing so, perhaps
we can expand the number of fields being sought by a larger number of companies
for LSU’s student veterans.
As we develop this group of
veterans in energy exploration, we are attempting to gain support from the
Departments of Geology and Geophysics, Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering, and the LSU Flores Master of Business Administration Program.
Currently, there are
numerous initiatives that have been developed by these programs, including the
Flores MBA degree with a specialization in energy. The Geology and Geophysics
Department has created the Applied Depositional Geosystems certification
program for graduate students to guide them in pursuit of careers in energy, as
well as a five-year Accelerated Master’s Program.
Additionally, the university recently created the Center for Energy Studies to study policy issues
related to the energy sector.
Q: Can you tell us a bit
about your time in the Marines?
I enlisted in 2003 after
graduating from college. I attended the Basic Arabic Course at the Defense
Language Institute in Monterey, California, and follow-on Signals Intelligence training
before reporting to 2nd Radio Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp
Lejeune, N.C.
During the training cycle
for a deployment to Iraq, I received orders to the newly formed Marine Corps
Forces Special Operations Command that had recently been formed. I deployed to
Afghanistan in January 2007 and again in September 2008-March 2009.
Between these deployments, I attended the Basic Reconnaissance Course and SERE
School. Following my second deployment, I reported to Marine Cryptologic
Support Battalion and served four years in various billets within the
intelligence community.
Following the end of my
active-duty service, I joined the Marine Corps Reserve, and I am currently
serving at 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company.
Q: From your personal
experience, why should vets be proud to work in the oil and gas industry?
A: Each of us has served in
the military and has done our part for the security of the nation. The recent
wars have shifted to a new phase, and the numbers of our service members
directly deployed in overseas conflicts have decreased.
Eventually, each of us
has to make a decision to continue with an active-duty career in the military
or to transition to the civilian world as a Reservist, Guardsman or veteran.
No matter what path we choose, we will always be associated with the military.
We will all have individual reputations, but with the added responsibility to
maintain the reputation of those who came before us and continue to pave the
way for those who will come after us.
Within the oil and gas
industry, I believe there are additional opportunities to continue aiding
national security by helping the United States gain energy independence or
providing a more stable supply of energy to other nations. Geologists are one
part of this effort, as are oil field workers, suppliers and transporters.
There are numerous other majors leading to professional careers in the industry
that veterans can explore, such as engineering, health and safety, environmental
science and business operations.
