Arnold H. Bouma received his Ph.D. degree in 1961 at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. He and his family emigrated in 1966 to the United States of America to join the Department of Geological Oceanography at Texas A&M University. After his stay in College Station he broadened his knowledge in 1975 working for the U.S. Geological Survey. In 1981 he went to the oil industry (Gulf Oil, and later Chevron). In 1988 he moved to Louisiana State University. He returned to Texas A&M in 2005 to the department of Geology (retired and busy).

Dr. Bouma's main scientific interest is in sedimentary geology with emphasis on deep-water depositional environments. He is currently developing a Center for Shale Studies at Texas A&M, which will be worldwide.

• Develop criteria to identify detectable characteristics for the various zones of fine-grained submarine fans in outcrop and in de-compacted equivalents
• Siltstones, mud-stones and shales from different depositional environments
• Ancient and resent sediments in marine depositional environments with emphasis on turbidites, submarine canyons, and fans
• Development of architectural characteristics of marine depositional systems with emphasis on porosity and permeability trends

• Dr. Bouma is finishing a book on sediments about understanding what the criteria are that makes sediments rich or poor in natural gas.
• Developing the Center for Shale Studies at Texas A&M, including universities and research institutes worldwide.
• Developing a program at Texas A&M in which students from Geology and Geophysics, Geological Oceanography, and Petroleum Engineering can work interactively on data obtained from the oil and gas industry.

• 2006 - Director of the Center for Shale Studies
• 2005 - present Adjunct Professor, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University.
• 1990 - 1992 Head, School of Geosciences, Louisiana State University
• 1988 - 2005 McCord Endowed Professor in Sedimentary Geology, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University
• 1976 - 1988 held positions of: Chief Scientist, Research Geologist, Project Supervisor, Scientific Advisor and Senior Research Associate of many different projects
• 1970 - 1975 Professor, Geological Oceanography, Texas A&M University
• 1966 - 1970 Associate Professor, Geological Oceanography, Texas A&M University
• 1963 - 1966 Instructor, Geological Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
• 1962 - 1963 Fullbright Post-doctoral fellowship, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, C.

• Scott, E.D., Bouma, A.H., and Bryant, W.R., eds., 2002. Depositional Processes and Characteristics of Siltstones, Mudstones, and Shale. Special symposium Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, 102 pp and additional illustration, also on CD-ROM
• Weimer, P., Slatt, R.M., Coleman, J., Rozen, N.C., Nelson, H., Bouma, A.H., Styzen, M.J., and Lawrence, D.T., eds., 2000. Deep-Water Reservoirs of the World. 20th Annual Gulf Coast Section Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Bob F. Perkins Research Conference, Houston, TX, 64 pp abstract book and 1105 pp complete papers on CD-ROM
• Bouma, A.H., and Stone, C.G., eds., 2000. Fine-Grained Turbidite Systems. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 72, Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM) Special Publication 68, 342 pp.
• Weimer, P., Bouma, A.H., and Perkins, B.F., eds., 1994. Submarine Fans and Turbidite Systems: Sequence Stratigraphy, Reservoir Architecture and Production Characteristics - Gulf of Mexico and International: 15th Annual Gulf Coast Section Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Foundation Research Conference, Houston, TX, 440 pp.
• Bouma, A.H., and Carter, R.M., eds., 1991. Facies Models in Exploration and Development of Hydrocarbon and Ore Deposits: VSP, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 254 pp.

• 2007 Sidney Powers Memorial Award, AAPG
• 2007 Honorary Member AAPG
• 2007 Honorary Member SEPM
• 2006 Geo-Legend. Houston Geological Society

As part of the Center for Shale Studies, Dr. Bouma plans to involve faculty and students from Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry and Petroleum Engineering as well as get companies to support the research and students.