Nathan Meehan, Ph.D., P.E.,
Physics 1975
2025 College of Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award Winner
School of Physics
Nathan Meehan earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s in petroleum engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in petroleum engineering from Stanford University.
Currently, he is the L. F. Peterson ’36 Professor of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University. He is also president of CMG Petroleum Consulting, an energy advisory firm founded in 2001; senior technology advisor for Petro.ai, a leading oilfield data analytics firm; and a non-executive director of Ignis H2, a geothermal energy company. He was formerly president of Gaffney, Cline & Associates, a senior executive at Baker Hughes, and the 2016 president of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
With more than 45 years of industry experience, he has served as chairman of the board of the CMG Reservoir Simulation Foundation and twice as a director of the Computer Modelling Group, Ltd., as director of Vanyoganeft Oil Company, Nizhnyvartosk, Russia, as director of Pinnacle Technologies, Inc., twice as a director of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and as a director of JOA Oil & Gas BV. He is an SPE Distinguished Member and the recipient of SPE’s Lester C. Uren Award for Distinguished Achievement in Petroleum Engineering, the Degolyer Distinguished Service Medal, the SPE Public Service Award, and has been named an SPE Honorary Member, the Society’s highest award. He received the World Oil Lifetime Achievement Award and Petroleum Economist magazine’s Legacy Award. He has been named the 2023 Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Oklahoma College of Earth and Energy and serves on the advisory boards of the University of Oklahoma Board of Visitors for the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy and the Georgia Institute of Technology College of Sciences. He is an appointed member of the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission, has served on the National Petroleum Council, and is a widely published author. Meehan is a licensed professional engineer in four states.
Meehan and his wife live in Spring, Texas, and have six children and ten grandchildren. He raises bees and claims to be “the greatest BBQ cook of our generation”.
What Georgia Tech means to me:
"Georgia Tech was a launching pad for my academic and professional life. It gave me lifelong friends, introduced me to my wife, and set me on a path that shaped my career."
How Georgia Tech prepared me for a successful career:
"My physics degree from Tech gave me a strong foundation to pursue graduate study in engineering. The rigorous academics and mentorship from faculty helped me succeed as an engineer and later as a professor."
Favorite Georgia Tech memory:
"Some of my best memories include playing poker with my physics professors, meeting my wife (a math major—she has been multiplying ever since! We have 6 children and 11 grandchildren), and exploring the cultural side of Atlanta. My college roommate and I still go to operas in Chicago and Houston every year."
Why I give back to Georgia Tech:
"I support Tech’s Rising Tide program because I believe in investing in mentoring and career development for young scientists. Giving back helps build the next generation of academic leaders, especially those with ties to the Southeast."
