Stephen A. Sonnenberg, PhD
Dr. Sonnenberg is a Professor and holds the Charles Boettcher Distinguished Chair in Petroleum Geology at the Colorado School of Mines. He specializes in unconventional reservoirs, sequence stratigraphy, tectonic influence on sedimentation, and petroleum geology. A native of Billings, Montana, Sonnenberg received BS and MS degrees in geology from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in geology from the Colorado School of Mines. He has over twenty-five years of industry experience.
Steve has served as President of several organizations, including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG), and the Colorado Scientific Society. He also served on the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 1997–2003 and was Chair of the Commission from 1999–2003.
He is the recipient of the Young Alumnus Award, Outstanding Alumnus Award, and Mines Medal from the Colorado School of Mines; the Distinguished Achievement Medal from Texas A&M University; the Halbouty Medal from AAPG; Distinguished Service Awards from AAPG and RMAG; Honorary Membership Awards from AAPG, RMAG, and the Colorado Scientific Society; and the Robert J. Weimer Lifetime Contribution Award from the Rocky Mountain Section of the AAPG. In 2026, the AAPG Foundation recognized Dr. Sonnenberg as one of three recipients of its Chairman's Award, honoring his extraordinary contributions and service to the Foundation.