Alumnus Ken McQueen (B.S. ’82) has been appointed interim chair of the McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering at The University of Tulsa.
McQueen worked as a petroleum engineer for more than 35 years across 12 states and three countries. In 2012, he was named vice president at WPX Energy, a corporate spin-off of Williams, owning operational responsibility for the company’s assets in New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming.
After a distinguished career at Williams and WPX Energy, he was appointed secretary of energy, minerals and natural resources for the state of New Mexico in 2016. In 2019, he received a presidential appointment to work as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Six region administrator and national energy policy adviser in Dallas. In 2022, he was appointed Oklahoma’s secretary of energy and environment.
“McQueen offers the leadership and approach needed for the McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering,” said Andreas Polycarpou, Ph.D., dean of UTulsa’s College of Engineering & Computer Science. “He will ensure that the school maintains its excellence in scholarship and research.”
As interim chair, McQueen looks forward to further serving his alma mater. Before serving as interim, he was a petroleum engineering adjunct professor. He currently serves on the Petroleum Engineering Industry Advisory Board where he has served twice as chair. He is also apart of the College of Engineering & Computer Science Advisory Board. Born and raised in Davis, Oklahoma, he describes his 50-year relationship to Tulsa and the university as one of his longtime loves: “There are a lot of opportunities for petroleum engineers to utilize the training that they get at The University of Tulsa. Maintaining our stature, attracting more students and readying the school for its permanent chair is immensely important. I’m proud to be able to take on this role, working with our students, faculty and administration closely, to continue the school’s legacy as we prepare for the future.”