As the recipient of the Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) scholarship, Michael E. “Mike” Wiley (BS ’72, Petroleum Engineering) experienced first-hand the benefits of a collaborative vision between academia and industry. From his college days as an ARCO Scholar and summer intern, Mike’s relationship with the company grew during the next 20 years until he became vice president in 1991.
In 1993, Mike was tapped to become the first president of Vastar Resources, a domestic exploration and production company created by ARCO. The following year, he became Vastar’s chairman and CEO as well, and served in that capacity until ARCO was acquired by BP Amoco in 2000. That same year, industry analysts applauded when Wiley took the helm of Baker Hughes, which, at that time, was the world’s third largest oil service company based on market capitalization.
The Baker Hughes partnership with TU was strengthened during Mike Wiley’s term as chairman, CEO, and President of Baker Hughes (2000 to 2005). Mike remained committed to fortifying the partnership between academia and industry, serving on TU’s Petroleum Engineering Industry Advisory Board for 10 years and as a member of the TU Board of Trustees from 1999-2010. He was inducted into the College of Engineering and Computer Science Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Collins College of Business Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2006, Mike was named a TU Distinguished Alumnus, one of the university’s highest honors for its alumni.
In recognition of the benefits of its collaboration with the university, Baker Hughes established the Baker Hughes Presidential Scholarship in Mechanical Engineering in 2001.
Personally, Mike and his wife, Laura, have demonstrated their loyalty to TU by supporting a wide array of programs, scholarships, and facilities in both academics and athletics, dating back to 1992.
In 2009, the couple established the Michael and Laura Wiley Graduate Business Scholarship Endowment Fund. This important gift, along with matching funds from the Collins-Helmerich Challenge, funded six endowed scholarships for graduate students in the Collins College of Business.
The University of Tulsa is grateful for the leadership, loyalty, and generosity of Mike and Laura Wiley. Their investments in TU students will yield untold benefits for generations to come.
