William R. "Billy" Murphy, Jr. serves as Chief Executive Officer of University Lands, an organization within the University of Texas System entrusted with managing 2.1 million surface and mineral acres across West Texas. These lands, known as the Permanent University Fund (PUF) Lands, support the long-term financial strength of 28 higher education and health institutions across the UT and Texas A&M Systems.

Under the leadership of the University Lands team, these assets generate significant value for the state of Texas through a balanced and responsible approach to resource development. This includes a robust oil and gas portfolio - approximately 11,500 producing wells and over 430,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day - alongside a growing emphasis on surface uses such as grazing, renewable energy, water infrastructure, and commercial development. The team takes an active role in fostering high-quality development across the lands, with a focus on attracting experienced operators and advancing thoughtful, long-term projects.

Prior to joining University Lands, Billy worked at King Ranch, where he managed a wide range of functions, including land and mineral oversight, environmental stewardship, legal affairs, and government relations. He began his career as an attorney at Bracewell LLP, in their energy transactions group.

Billy is a graduate of Texas Tech University and South Texas College of Law. He currently serves on the Board of Visitors for South Texas College of Law and the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin, and as a commissioner for the Memorial Villages Police Department. He and his wife, Margaret, live in Houston and have three children - Will, Molly, and Griffin.

Kate Champion is Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for University Lands and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. She joined University Lands in 2022. Kate has extensive experience leading a broad spectrum of energy transactions, including transactions across the oil and gas value chain, renewable energy, and emerging energy.

Kate oversees both the Legal Department and the Emerging Energy Department and collaborates with cross-functional subject matter experts across the organization. The Legal Department provides commercially oriented legal guidance on matters relating to oil and gas development, renewable and emerging energy development, and land management practices. The Emerging Energy Department is responsible for the strategic implementation and management of a broad range of complex renewable and alternative energy projects across the 2.1 million acres of Permanent University Fund Lands.

Prior to joining University Lands, Kate was Senior Counsel at Exxon Mobil Corporation and supported the company on multimillion and multibillion dollar acquisitions, divestments, and joint ventures; major capital projects; and day-to-day business matters. Kate began her career at Bracewell LLP. While at Bracewell, Kate represented a diverse portfolio of clients in major energy transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint venture formation, project development, and acquisition financing.

Kate has a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and received her B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin. Kate is a member of the State Bar of Texas.

Brian Owen has been in the land business for over 25 years having worked assets across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. He spent the early years of his career working as an independent and contract landman. In 2007, Brian joined Petrohawk Energy Corp where he managed land operations for their Haynesville, Fayetteville and Permian Basin assets. When BHP Billiton bought Petrohawk in 2011, Brian became the Sr. Land Manager for BHP’s Eagle Ford Shale land team and assets and by 2015, his responsibilities expanded to include the Permian Basin.

Brian joined University Lands in early 2017, as Land Director and has since been promoted to Sr. Vice President of Land, overseeing both the mineral management and commercial surface team of University Lands’ 2.1 million acres in West Texas’ Permian Basin. Internally he manages a team of land professionals and, externally, Brian manages relationships and negotiations with the more than 200 oil and gas companies that operate leases and development areas across University Lands acreage.

Brian graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Petroleum Land Management, and, as a Certified Professional Landman, is a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen, the Houston Association of Professional Landmen, and, of course, the Permian Basin Landman Association.

Maryam Schellstede is the Chief Operating Officer for University Lands and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Maryam joined University Lands in 2018 and has held roles of increasing responsibility. She has served in her current role since 2023 and is responsible for Natural Resource Development, Business Solutions and IT Services, Marketing and Communications and Finance and Accounting.

Maryam has extensive experience leading multi-disciplinary teams to maximize value from oil and gas development in various basins and field maturity stages. Prior to joining University Lands, Maryam worked in reservoir characterization for the Unconventional Eagle Ford Reservoir Performance at ConocoPhillips, influencing and making critical development decisions for a robust asset development program. Prior to working the Eagle Ford Basin, Maryam was Team Lead for a mature conventional Permian field with active drilling, recompletion, and waterflood programs. Maryam began her career at ConocoPhillips as an operations and reservoir engineer working the development of high temperature, high pressure gas fields in Texas

At University Lands, Maryam and her team work closely with other technical, land and operational professionals to ensure the successful development of University Lands’ oil, gas, and water resources. She and her team are responsible for assessment and sharing of best operating practices, development of short- and long-term financial models, evaluation of operator performance, economic analysis of potential oil and gas opportunities, and the facilitation of the University Lands reserves process.

Maryam has a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Maryam in an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and a life member of Texas Exes, and volunteer for the Girl Scouts of America.