Interview  Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (e.g. your education and work experience, why you became a geophysicist, etc.) I was born in Romania, in a small town in the Prahova Valley - a region well known for its oil and gas resources. Drilling rigs were part of the landscape, and this is where my curiosity for geophysics began. Later, I got a Diploma in Geophysics from the Oil and Gas Institute, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Bucharest, Romania, and a Diploma in Mathematics from the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Bucharest. My technical career started with the Geophysical and Geological Oil Prospecting Company (IPGG) in Bucharest. In 1989, I moved to Calgary, Canada, to work with Geco-Prakla, a Schlumberger company. In 1992 I was transferred by the company, now WesternGeco, to Houston, where I have been ever since. Would you like to mention anything about your personal attributes that helped you achieve the professional status you enjoy today; was it self-belief, hard work, a mentor, or something else? Geophysics is my passion. My whole career is the result of my hard work, my capacity for making the right decisions at the right time, and last but not least, the help and dedication of my wife. Why did you choose this lecture topic? Why is it important? During the last six years, marine acquisition technology has evolved very rapidly: from narrow-azimuth to wide- and full-azimuth geometries; from single streamer measurements to dual sensor, broadband, and multimeasurement streamer; and from sequential shooting to simultaneous source shooting. These developments have also triggered changes in seismic data processing and imaging technology. I have been involved in some of these changes and I think it would be interesting to share my views on these recent developments. What do you hope people will have learned after they attend your lecture? How is it different from other lectures? I hope people will enjoy receiving an "inside view" on what is happening in marine seismic acquisition technology and a glimpse of what we can expect in the near future. You have quite a busy year ahead. Do you enjoy traveling? Will it be difficult to balance the tour with your work? I'm already doing some parts of my work from remote locations, so I'm confident that I can run my jobs from any airport and hotel. It is a great reward for me to travel and meet new fellow geoscientists. I will do my best to successfully fulfill my SEG Honorary Lecturer's duties without adversely affecting my other work. Would you share with us one or two of your most exciting successes? The most recent success was the 2012 Special Meritorious Engineering Award (MEA) for engineering innovation from Hart's E&P magazine, relating to the Dual Coil Shooting multivessel full-azimuth marine acquisition technique. How about a couple of disappointments? I have no professional disappointments but I regret that, although I fulfilled all the requirements for a Doctorate in Geophysics from the Oil and Gas Institute, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, I never took the time to defend my thesis on "Pattern recognition applications for seismic interpretation and seismic data processing." What advice would you give to geophysics students and professionals just starting out in the industry? Try to be an "all-round" geophysicist. It is a rare specialty these days, and one that requires talent, hard work and perseverance, but it is rewarding. Never stop challenging yourself! | 
