A University of Houston alumnus who is the chief executive officer of Paradigm, a global energy software company, and a former Halliburton executive will deliver the 2008 Commencement address for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

John W. Gibson Jr. will speak at the May 11 ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. in Hofheinz Pavilion. Approximately 400 fall and winter 2007 and spring 2008 candidates for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees are expected to participate.

Gibson has more than 25 years' experience leading organizations in the global energy industry and is a well-respected and sought-after industry advocate and spokesperson. Upstream CIO newsletter named him one of its 10 Most Influential IT People in the Oil Patch.

Paradigm employees approximately 750 employees with offices and technology centers in 22 countries. Its software allows customers to find new oil and natural gas reservoirs, maximize production and create dynamic digital models of the Earth's subsurface.

Prior to joining Paradigm in 2005, Gibson served as president of Halliburton Energy Services, where he managed all of the company's energy-related operations. Previously, he was CEO of Halliburton's Landmark Graphics Corp. In that capacity, he successfully identified and executed a merger and acquisition strategy that established Landmark as the leading industry software vendor.

With 10 years' exploration and production geophysics experience, he held positions at Gulf Oil and Chevron, where he managed one of the most respected exploration and production research institutions.

Gibson is a member of the board of directors for Parker Drilling and Paradigm. He also is on the advisory boards for the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Jackson School of Geology at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists executive advisory council and a director of the national KICKSTART program.