University of Tulsa graduate Colby DeWeese returned to campus recently to deliver a TEDx talk about his pioneering work in the field of green energy.
DeWeese founded Tulsa-based Tobe Energy in 2024 to revolutionize the production of hydrogen as a renewable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective fuel.
“UTulsa gave me more than just a chemical engineering education,” DeWeese said. “It gave me the freedom to explore how energy systems work at a deeper level, and the encouragement to pursue big, meaningful problems in the world. It’s also where I learned how to build cross-disciplinary relationships, which has become essential in everything I do today.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree from UTulsa in 2016, DeWeese went on to receive a master’s degree in oil, gas, and energy law from the University of Oklahoma in 2018. After college, he worked in the energy industry, managing large-scale engineering projects in the field.
“That gave me the hands-on experience and systems-level thinking I needed to understand the energy industry from the inside out,” DeWeese said.
He then shifted into renewable energy. In January 2023, he became the principal process engineer at Hydrogen Technologies, where he helped lead the development of a zero-emission hydrogen boiler.
“My time at UTulsa was foundational in shaping how I think as an engineer and a problem solver,” DeWeese said. “The small class sizes and close relationships with professors gave me a chance to really dig into the material and develop confidence in my technical abilities.”
One of those professors is Tyler Johannes, Ph.D., the Wayne B. Rumley Endowed Chair in Chemical Engineering, who has been following Colby’s career success. “Seeing a UTulsa graduate at the forefront of clean energy innovation and writing a book on hydrogen, it’s exactly the kind of impact we hope to inspire,” said Johannes.
Bringing together a team of engineers and scientists with deep experience in oil and gas, renewables, and technology, Tobe Energy aims to make zero-emission hydrogen a viable fuel for industrial use and 24/7 power generation.
“We’ve developed a new kind of electrolysis system that dramatically improves the efficiency and cost of clean hydrogen production,” DeWeese explained. “We’re now scaling up manufacturing and commercializing the tech nationwide.”
His TEDx talk was titled “The Untold Story of Hydrogen and the Future of Production.” Delivered on April 3 on campus, this talk explored the potential of hydrogen as a clean and sustainable energy source. He argues that hydrogen has been misunderstood and overlooked but could be key to a cleaner future. Look for this TEDx talk online at https://www.youtube.com/@TEDx in the coming year.
“It means a lot to return to UTulsa,” DeWeese said, “and share what I’ve been working on – especially with students who might be thinking about how they can make an impact in the energy transition.”