We sat down with Tim Miller, Associate Director, Oil and Gas, to talk about what it means to teach at the prestigious Colorado School of Mines Natural Gas Processing Course and why the opportunity is meaningful to him. He shared his perspective on the industry, the importance of mentorship, and how he’s helping prepare the next generation of natural gas professionals.
What does it mean to you personally to be invited to teach in a program with nearly five decades of history?
It’s a huge honor to be invited, and honestly, not something I ever expected would happen for me. This course has been a starting point for so many people in the Denver area, so being trusted to help introduce a new generation to the natural gas industry really means a lot.
How did this opportunity come about? Can you share some of your experience?
Like most opportunities, this one came through staying connected and building on existing relationships. Tim Rollenhagen actually recruited me for my first role at URS, so we’ve known each other for quite a while. We reconnected at the National GPA midstream convention, where he brought up the course and asked if I’d be interested. From there, it all came together.
Why is this short course so highly regarded in the gas processing industry?
The course offers a really solid overview of the industry for a wide range of people. You’ll see a lot of executives or folks with nontechnical backgrounds who need to understand how the industry works, and it gives them that foundation without requiring engineering coursework. It also has a long history. The people who started it 50 years ago were true pioneers, and over time the instructors have continued that legacy. They’re leaders in their fields and often at the forefront of new technologies, which is a big part of what makes the course so well respected.
Which parts of the curriculum are you most excited to teach?
I’m still figuring out exactly which sections I’ll be teaching, but it will likely focus on areas like compression, gas dehydration, and field operations.
From wellhead to market, where do you see the most innovation happening today?
I’m seeing a lot of innovation around optimization and making better use of the technology we already have. It’s really about how we can put the right pieces together to deliver the same quality facilities in a more streamlined way, so they can get to market faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost.
How does participating in a program like this strengthen relationships with clients and industry peers?
It helps strengthen relationships in a lot of ways. Many of our clients take this course, so it’s a chance to show both my capabilities and Atwell’s technical expertise. But just as important is the time spent together. Whether it’s in the classroom, at dinners, or working through projects, those shared experiences go a long way in building stronger connections.
What has been the most influential mentorship moment in your own career, and how does that shape how you approach teaching?
One of the most influential mentorship moments for me came early in my career with another process engineer. He really pushed me to look beyond what I was doing on paper and think about how it actually applies in the real world. Not just getting gas from point A to point B, but how it all comes together. What does it look like when it’s built? How will it be operated and maintained?
He encouraged me to spend time in the field, visit facilities, and talk with operations and other engineers to really understand how things work and how we can make projects better. It shifted my mindset to always ask how something will be implemented and whether it truly makes sense in practice.
That’s something I carry into how I teach as well. I encourage people to get out into the field and, once they’ve worked through a problem, take a step back and ask, “Does this actually make sense in the real world?” We have great tools and software that can give us answers, but if it doesn’t pass that gut check, then it’s worth digging deeper and figuring out how to make it work.
