Thomas A. Smith is the founder and former president of Seismic Micro-Technology (SMT), an international provider of software systems for seismic interpretation in the oil and gas industry, incorporated in 1984.[1] Shortly after, he launched the Kingdom seismic interpretation software. In 2007, Smith sold the majority of stock in the company to a group of investors, while retaining a position on the SMT’s Board of Directors. In 2009 he founded Geophysical Insights, a Houston firm engaged in research, development, and application of unsupervised neural networks for advanced seismic interpretation, among other advanced geophysical analysis methods and tools.[2][3][4][5]
Smith received the Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science degrees in Geology at Iowa State University. His MS research was in shallow refraction investigation of the Manson astrobleme. In 1971 Smith joined Chevron Geophysical and worked as a geophysicist in seismic processing and software development until 1980. In 1981 Smith earned a Ph.D in geophysics from the University of Houston under Fred Hilterman. After receiving the degree, he launched a consulting and teaching practice in seismic interpretation, seismic acquisition and seismic processing through OGCI (now PetroSkills).
He has been a member of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) since 1967 and currently serves on the SEG Foundation Board of Directors. The Geophysical Society of Houston (GSH) awarded him Honorary Membership in 2010 and the SEG awarded Smith the SEG Enterprise Award in 2000.[6] Iowa State University awarded Smith the Citation of Merit for National and International Recognition in 2002 and Distinguished Alumnus Lecturer Award in 1996. He serves on the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board and the ISU Foundation Board of Governors. SMT received a GSH Corporate Star Award in 2005 and Smith continues to be active in several SEG committees. He is also an active member of the Houston Geologic Society, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, Seismological Society of America and the American Geophysical Union.