Houston Conference 2026

Claudene Sharp-Patel CMarTech FIMarEST

Global Technical Director, Marine and Offshore, Lloyds Register

Claudene joined the marine industry over 30 years ago, having wide experience in maritime, shipping, salvage/MCI, upstream oil and Gas, and wind installation/MWS, Terminal operations, assurance and Oil and Gas/renewable industries in various roles and senior management positions. Claudene started her career as a sea-going Marine Engineering with BHP on dry-bulk carriers, ROROs, Container Vessels and Chemical tankers, transferring onto Oil and LNG vessels with Shell UK and primarily with BP Shipping. However, never one to stop during leave periods continued building experience on General cargo vessels and passenger ships.  Although holding a Bachelor of Technology (Marine Engineering) and Combined Chief Engineer (Motor and Steam), Claudene continued studying obtaining an MBA in Maritime Law and Logistics Management. 

Although Claudene’s background is technical, her training in her shore career in Shipping companies and energy companies support the understanding of shipping, terminal operations/activities and marine activities, has assisted seeing these operations holistically and impactfully.  Claudene’s more recent roles as Global Technical Director Lloyd’s Register, and Shell Australia Prelude (Prelude Marine Terminal Coordinator) further adds to her understanding of current Marine and Offshore roles, activities and operations.  Claudene’s current role as Global Technical Director for Lloyds Register allows an input in the strategy and technical requirements for the industry both legislated or required through IMO/IACS and supporting customers and the industry find safe technical solutions within Decarbonisation, Digitalisation, Marine safety assurance and Offshore Safety Assurance.

Claudene was previously a registered consultant to IMO, and has been continuously active within OCIMF in several groups/working groups including Representative at GPC, Vice Chairman of OCIMF Technical Group, and member of SIRE Focus Group.  These experiences bringing a wide understanding of incidents, consequences, legislation, regulations and implementation. Claudene is a Fellow of IMarEST and served for 6 years as Vice President and culminating as Vice Chair of Technical Leadership Board of IMarEST and is currently the President Elect IMarEST

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Dr Nimi Abili PhD, MBA, CEng, CMarEng, FIMarEST

Chairman, IMarEST Houston (US Gulf Coast) Branch, IMarEST

Dr. Abili is accomplished commercially and globally experienced Technology Development Leader with 25 years in delivering optimal outcomes in Capital Projects, Subsea Development, Digital Engineering, Smart Factory, Automation, New Energies, Oil & Gas, and delivery of intelligent operations in the energy verticals, including with Shell, Eni, ExxonMobil, SLB, Capgemini Engineering, Greater Offshore, and Management Consulting as Chief Technology Adviser. He holds a PhD in Energy & Power (Subsea), and MSc in Subsea Engineering from Cranfield University, England; an MBA in Oil and Gas from Middlesex University London, England; and a BEng in Electronic & Electrical Engineering (Hons) from the University of Sunderland, England. Dr. Abili is the Executive Chairman of the IMarEST Houston (US Gulf Coast) Branch and a Board of Trustee in the IMarEST UK

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Dr Paul Jukes PhD CEng CMarEng FIMarEST

Technical Manager – Pipelines & Flowlines, 2H Offshore

Obtained a Honours Degree in Mechanical and Structural Engineering (BEng Hons), a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and a Doctorate in Structural Engineering (PhD). Over 28 years of experience in the Oil & Gas industry. Previously the Group Managing Director for MCS Kenny, a Division of wood (formerly Wood Group). Currently the Flowline and Pipeline SME for 2H Offshore Inc., in Houston.

Joined the IMarEST as a Graduate Member in 1998, Member and a Chartered Engineer in 1999, and became a Fellow in 2005. Honorary Secretary for the South East England Branch (SEE) of IMarEST (1999-2005) and Chairman for the ‘IMarEST Young Members Network’ (2005). Past Regional Co-ordinator for the Young Marine Professional (YMP) (1999-2002), and judge for the SET Awards (2003-2005). Previously Chairman of the Houston Gulf Coast Branch (2006 – 2012). Council Member (2010-2013). Board of Trustees (2007-2012). Obtained President’ Commendation Award in 2006.nCoauthor of the ‘Encyclopedia of Maritime and Offshore Engineering’ jointly with Carlton, J., and Sang Y, Wiley Books, March 2018.

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Rajnish Kelkar CEng, FIMarEST

Vice Chair, IMarEST Houston (US Gulf Coast) Branch

Rajnish is a Houston, TX-based Maritime executive with experience in management, operations, assurance, and safety within the Oil, Gas, Energy, and Maritime industries. He leads Environmental, Energy, and Regulatory Programs at Excelerate Energy, focusing on FSRU terminal development, environmental and regulatory compliance. Previously, he was Marine Projects Manager for the Jordan Cove LNG terminal, managing marine interfaces and budgets.

After completing Marine Engineering training at Indian Maritime University, Rajnish served on tankers with Chevron Shipping and later joined Teekay Shipping Ltd., where he became Chief Engineer. Until 2009, he held management roles at Teekay Vancouver, overseeing Fleet Performance Management, Risk, Reliability and Safety programs for around 150 vessels.

From 2009 to 2016, he was Director of Maritime HSSE at BG Group in Houston, providing leadership for maritime operations across 10 locations and about 150 assets, including LNG Carriers and offshore vessels.

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Dr Kamran Alba Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology, University of Houston

Dr. Kamran Alba is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) at the University of Houston (UH). He received his Ph.D. in 2013 from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia in Canada. After a brief industry experience in 2014 at Schlumberger’s R&D center in Denmark, Kamran started his faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor at UH in 2015. His research focuses on experimental and computational fluid dynamics, multiphase flows, thermo-fluids, and rheology. Kamran’s research has been funded by both federal agencies such as National Science Foundation and local industries related to valve manufacturing and carbon capture operations. He is passionate about collaborating with local companies on applied projects related to the field of thermo-fluid mechanics. Kamran is actively engaged with MET Industry Advisory Board (IAB) activities as well as hosting K-12 outreach events in UH Sugar Land campus to support workforce development in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). He has authored more than 60 refereed journal and conference publications and currently serves as the Associate Editor of the journal of Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics from Taylor & Francis Group

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Rich Byrnes

President and CEO, Blue Sky

Rich Byrnes is a global executive and creative leader with a passion for improving business and developing people. He has a track record of building organizations and leading diverse teams to solve complex management and technical challenges. A maritime and energy advocate, Rich advises organizations on business strategy and infrastructure.

Rich is President and Board Director with the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, which comprises 100 members focused on accelerating innovation and efficiency in North American Shipping.  For 10 years prior, he was Chief Infrastructure Officer at Port Houston and preceding that, he was Vice President for Business and Technical Consulting at two global public oilfield service companies.

Rich’s career spans executive management, engineering, operations and consulting across transportation, supply chain, ports, shipbuilding, upstream, midstream and downstream oil & gas and the public sector. He started his career wintering over and managing logistics and supply chain at the South Pole, Antarctica, then became an oilfield engineer in Saudi Arabia and Syria. Later, Rich consulted with international and national oil companies, ports, transportation and shipping companies, shipbuilding and government clients world-wide.

Rich also chairs the entrepreneurship focused youth career development non-profit STEME.org, advises the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) and Houston Energy Leadership Cohort (HELC), is an adjunct professor of management at UMGC and former faculty on leadership at Texas A&M.

Rich holds two master’s degrees from MIT, one in Ocean Systems Management and another in Technology and Policy; and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from UC Santa Barbara. 

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Wayne Chen PE

Digital Fleet Manager for Guyana Digital Alliance (GDA), MODEC

Wayne Chen is the Digital Fleet Manager for Guyana Digital Alliance (GDA) at MODEC. In this role, he oversees the client’s digital portfolio across the Guyana FPSO assets. He manages the digital product lifecycle, including development and acquisition, stage-gate reviews, scaled deployment, maintenance, and sustainment.

Wayne has more than 12 years of experience in the offshore upstream sector carrying out subsea structure design, project management, and digital product R&D. His career has progressed through various technical and management roles, including structural engineer,
engineering lead, and project manager.

Wayne holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a doctorate in structural engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He is a licensed professional engineer registered with Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS).

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Dr Gocha Chochua Ph.D.

Technical Advisor, Schlumberger (SLB)

Dr. Gocha Chochua is a Technical Advisor at Schlumberger (SLB), where he leads the company’s global Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) group and drives advanced modeling and simulation initiatives across the oil and gas sector. With over 20 years of industry experience, he is widely recognized for his expertise in analytical and computational fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer, turbomachinery design and analysis, and erosion modeling and mitigation. Dr. Chochua holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida and has built a distinguished career spanning the oil and gas, turbomachinery, and aerospace industries. His work focuses on developing robust, physics-based methodologies and simulation-driven design approaches that enhance product performance, reliability, and operational efficiency. He has played a key role in establishing and standardizing advanced modeling practices within industry, particularly in erosion prediction and design optimization.

A prolific researcher and innovator, Dr. Chochua has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals and conferences and is named as an inventor on over 30 patents. In addition to his technical leadership, he is deeply committed to advancing the profession through mentorship, training, and knowledge sharing, serving as a subject matter expert and coach to engineers worldwide. He also contributes to the broader technical community as a Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) topic organizer.  Through his leadership, technical rigor, and dedication to excellence, Dr. Chochua continues to advance the application of fluid dynamics and thermal sciences to solve complex challenges in modern energy systems.

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Cinnamon Edralin

Americas Research Director, Westwood Global Energy

Cinnamon is America's Research Director for RigLogix at Westwood Global Energy and has been covering the offshore rig market since 2006. She began her career with ODS-Petrodata, which was acquired by IHS (later becoming IHS Markit), where she managed the Americas offshore rig team, along with the Americas marine team and the US/Canada land rig team. Cinnamon then moved to Esgian, where she helped raise brand awareness for offshore rig services, along with supporting offshore wind. She joined Westwood in 2023 and provides support for the subsea team in addition to her rig analyst duties. In 2026, she joined the Editorial Advisory Board for Offshore magazine. Cinnamon holds a BA in Liberal Arts from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.

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Dr Medhat El Nahas Ph.D

Instructional Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology , University of Houston

Dr. Medhat El Nahas is an Instructional Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology at the University of Houston. He served as the Coordinator of the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program at the University of Houston from 2015 to 2019, where he led the program to reach its peak enrollment (874 students). Medhat holds BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from his native country, Egypt. After coming to the US, Medhat earned another MS in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University, and then a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston. Medhat is an elected senator at the University of Houston Faculty Senate and an elected member in the University of Houston Undergraduate Committee.    

Medhat has served the University of Houston since January 2007. Prior to joining the University of Houston, Medhat worked as a maintenance engineer, production engineer, research engineer, and research scientist. His research experience includes working at the National Research Center (NRC) & The City of Scientific Research and Technology Applications (CSRTA) in Egypt for 7 years. He then worked at the National Research Council (CNR) in Italy for 2 years. Medhat’s current research focuses on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a design tool for engineering systems and applications. He also is very interested in designing systems to utilize solar, wind, and biomass energy. He, so far, has served as an advisor and/or examiner on twelve (12) Master defense committees & four (4) Ph.D. defense committees held in the Cullen College of Engineering at University of Houston.

Jose Guilherme Moraes

Regional Offshore Manager, Global Offshore Leadership Team , DNV

Regional Offshore Manager with 18 years of experience in the offshore market, specialised in Maritime Offshore operations and business development across North America. Based in the Houston office, he led initiatives that drive growth and deliver high-quality services for Mobile Offshore Units, including New Building projects, Advisory services, Certification of Materials and Components, and Fleet in Service support. His focus is on enabling customers to excel in their business while safeguarding life, assets, and the environment. As a member of the Global Leadership Team and the Americas Regional Leadership Team, he played a key role in strengthening customer centricity and internal networks and fostering collaboration across multiple DNV stations in the region.

Additionally, Jose acted together with a talented team of Key Account Managers for several major oil companies and MOU Owners in North America, ensuring strategic alignment and exceptional client engagement.  He led a team of highly skilled professionals (Business Development and Plan Approval Engineers) in Houston, dedicated to creating a positive environment, delivering innovative solutions, supporting them in contributing with my experience and academic skills.  

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Jan Hagen Andersen P.E.

Business Development Director, Regional Director for Maritime Decarbonization, DNV Maritime

Jan Hagen Andersen has over 30 years of experience in the maritime industry with a broad technical knowledge and business development understanding. After graduating from engineering college in Norway, he completed a Bachelor and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. He then joined Trans Marine Propulsion Systems, Inc. in 1991, a marine engineering and service company in Seattle with a focus on marine propulsion and ship machinery systems.

In 2005, he joined DNV in Norway in the Machinery Section of Maritime Technical Advisory. The advisory group in DNV provides consultancy and non-class support services to ship owners, shipyards, manufacturers, designers, and other stakeholders. In 2010 he moved to DNV Maritime in Houston, Texas and is currently in Business Development and the Regional Director for Maritime Decarbonization.

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Michiel Heuven

Vice President, Key Accounts , SBM Offshore

Michiel Heuven is Vice President, Key Accounts at SBM Offshore. He joined SBM Offshore in 2011 as Project Manager where he acquired experience in international projects. In 2015 he then took roles in Operations Readiness and Operations Management and in 2018 he was appointed Head of Operations North America & Guyana. He then moved to Commercial management in 2022 where he held positions as Global Operations Commercial Manager and VP Business Development. Michiel has over 25 years of experience in the Energy industry, having held positions for SBM offshore in the US, Singapore and Nova Scotia, Canada.

Prior to being at SBM, he worked at various Keppel shipyards around the world managing large oil and gas construction projects. Michiel has a degree in Naval Architecture from Hogeschool Inholland, Netherlands.

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Julie Ingram

Director Engineering - Subsea and Floating Facilities, McDermott

Julie Ingram has worked in the offshore oil and gas industry for over 20 years. She started her career at Technip (now TechnipFMC) where she served in various technical, commercial and management roles, gaining experience in both shallow and deepwater before moving into a consulting role for Alpha Petroleum providing support for Operators for subsea tiebacks and new field developments. Julie then spent 4 years at Texas A&M University where she served as the Director of the Subsea Engineering Program in the College of Engineering and taught Subsea Project Implementation, Subsea Riser Design and Subsea Pipeline Design to graduate students. Julie also served as the Subsea Tieback Advisory Board academic member in her last year at TAMU. In her current role, Julie is the Director of Engineering for Subsea and Floating Facilities, with a global focus. She also serves as McDermott’s Technical Authority for Flexible Pipe. Julie received her BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and her MS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Houston.

 

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Margaret Kidd

San Jacinto College

Margaret A. Kidd serves as Department Chair of Logistics & Supply Chain Management at San Jacinto College and as Special Advisor to the President and Board of Trustees for the Houston Maritime Center and Museum. With more than fifteen years of experience in higher education, she leads workforce-aligned program development designed to meet the evolving demands of Houston’s globally connected economy. She is spearheading the launch of the Bachelor of Applied Technology in Logistics & Supply Chain Management—the first four-year degree offered by a Texas community college—creating an accessible, industry-driven pathway for students seeking upward mobility in a high-demand field critical to regional and national supply chains.

Prior to joining San Jacinto College, Margaret served as Program Director and Instructional Associate Professor for the Supply Chain & Logistics Technology program in the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering. There, she built and chaired a globally recognized industry advisory board composed of importers, exporters, EPC firms, third-party logistics providers, manufacturers, port authorities, and maritime stakeholders—ensuring curriculum alignment with real-time workforce needs. Her work has consistently focused on closing the skills gap through employer engagement, applied learning, and stackable credentials that support both entry-level employment and incumbent worker upskilling.

Margaret brings significant grant leadership experience in workforce development and credential acceleration. She has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on multiple state, federal, industry, and foundation-funded initiatives, including a U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) sub-award totaling $469,000 as part of a $25 million consortium, through which she delivered approximately 30% of the nearly 11,000 credentials awarded during the grant period. Additional grants include workforce development awards from Port Houston and KBR Government Solutions, and a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board planning grant focused on accelerating credentials of value, along with a Shell-funded circular supply chain initiative and most recently a case study which she conducted in Mumbai on Larsen and Toubro’s digitization of all logistics and supply chain functions across their 14 verticals. Across these efforts, she has advanced industry-recognized credentials, strengthened career pathways, and expanded access to high-quality training aligned with regional economic priorities.

Margaret holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Cross-Cultural Studies and has completed 60 doctoral credit hours in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy, with a focus on port-city interface, sustainability, and economic development—areas that directly inform her commitment to building inclusive, future-ready workforce pipelines.

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Sri Kodali

AI & Energy Strategic Partnership Executive, NVIDA

Sri is a Technology Executive specializing in AI, developer ecosystems, and industrial digital transformation. His expertise is focused on building ecosystems and solutions that scale, including AI Factories, Open USD-based digital twins, and multi-vendor collaborations that transform industrial operations. His experience includes Global Developer Relations for Energy & Utilities with NVIDIA, Leading digital innovation across trading, supply chains, retail, manufacturing, and chemicals—driving AI and accelerated computing solutions. Sri worked as General Manager Digital & Innovation with Shell.

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Dr Bulent Mercan PhD, PE

Technical Advisor, 2H Offshore

Bulent Mercan currently serves as a technical advisor for 2H Offshore in Houston. He has more than ten years of industry experience in the analysis, design, and integrity monitoring of structural systems for offshore oil, gas and renewable assets. His responsibilities include project management, technical sales, and technology development. He holds a PhD in Civil/Structural Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a Professional Engineer Licence in Texas.

Bulent also serves as a part-time senior lecturer at the University of Houston. He has more than eight years of teaching experience at the UH. He teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in the Civil Engineering Department.

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Dr Alberto Morandi

Vice-President of Technology & Research, SNAME

Dr. Alberto Morandi is a Naval Architect with 40 years of experience in the maritime and offshore industries, developing solutions for Oil & Gas, Renewables, Construction, Carbon Capture, and Platform Re-use. He serves as SNAME Vice-President of Technology & Research, liaising with maritime nuclear groups such as MNAG and the ANS Maritime Task Force. He is a PE in the State of Texas and a Chartered Engineer in the UK as well as an expert witness to the Federal Courts of Texas and Louisiana and to the US Arbitration Association. Over 60 published papers and articles as well as speaking in conferences and industry panels, receiving an OTC best paper in 2022.

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Dr Prabu Parthasarathy

Global VP - Strategic Projects, Cognite

As the Global VP - Strategic Projects at Cognite, I help combine domain expertise and digital technology to help clients across upstream and midstream industries harness the power of data and AI to optimize their operations, reduce emissions, and enhance safety. With over 20years of international experience in the Oil and Gas sector, I have a deep understanding of the technical and business challenges that our clients face, and how to deliver value by combining domain knowledge with digital technologies. Before joining Cognite, I was the VP of Intelligent Operations at Wood Group, where I oversaw a global business line that provided advanced technology solutions to the process industry.

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Carlos Paz

Global Digital Delivery Manager, Schlumberger (SLB)

Carlos Paz is a Global Digital Delivery Manager at SLB, based in Houston, and a recognized leader in advancing digital operations across global offshore and energy systems. With more than 20 years of experience, he specializes in the industrialization of digital delivery—enabling operators to scale advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, edge computing, and digital twins into consistent, high-impact outcomes across maritime and offshore environments.

Carlos began his career as a Field Engineer in 2005, working in complex offshore settings across West Africa, the Caspian Sea, and the North Sea. These early assignments provided deep exposure to subsea, production, and offshore asset operations, shaping his strong operational foundation and practical approach to digital transformation in safety-critical environments.

In his current role, Carlos leads the global deployment and standardization of digital solutions across offshore and production systems, including FPSOs and remote operations. His work focuses on integrating real-time data, advanced analytics, and digital workflows into end-to-end operational ecosystems spanning production, maintenance, and logistics.

He drives the development of scalable delivery models and deployment frameworks that enable operators to:

• Improve asset utilization and production efficiency across offshore facilities
• Enhance equipment reliability and uptime through predictive and condition-based insights
• Optimize inspection and maintenance workflows using AI-enabled and digital twin technologies
• Enable real-time, remote decision-making across geographically distributed operations

Carlos is particularly recognized for aligning engineering rigor with digital innovation, ensuring that technologies are effectively deployed and adopted in operational environments such as FPSOs and offshore platforms. He works closely with operational leaders to embed digital capabilities into daily workflows, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and performance optimization.

His work contributes directly to the evolution of the maritime and offshore sectors toward more intelligent, connected, and lower-emission operations, supporting safer and more efficient asset performance at global scale.

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Pedro Penilla

Director of New Build and Projects, Excelerate Energy

Experienced Ship Engineering Senior Director with a proven history of working in the oil & gas industry. SME of Engineering across all disciplines. Skilled Senior Marine Engineering Project Manager with key knowledge in LNG, Shipbuilding, Retrofits, Engineering Management, Operations, Project Execution, change management, and technical management. Strong professional background with a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Penn State University and Project Management Professional from PMI.

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Adam Reeves

Engineering Training Officer, Texas A&M University

With over 15 years of experience in the maritime industry, I am passionate about sharing my knowledge and skills with the next generation of marine engineers and professionals. I have a strong background in hydrocarbon measurement, marine transportation, and shipboard systems, and I hold multiple certifications from the US Coast Guard. As an Engineering Training Officer at Texas A&M University Galveston Campus, I create and deliver engaging lecture and lab material for 2nd and 4th year cadets on various topics, such as oily water separators, steering gear, marine sanitation devices, and refrigeration. I also collaborate with other instructors and staff to ensure a safe and effective learning environment for the cadets.

Additionally, I have extensive experience as a Hydrocarbon Measurement Analyst at ExxonMobil, where I performed global marine transportation loss analysis, provided technical guidance to the oil loss claims group, and served as a voting member and chairman of the API Committee on Measurement Accountability. I have also received the New Member Impact Award from the API for my significant contributions to the petroleum measurement standards and practices.

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Dr Ram Shenoy

CEO, RBR Group

Ram Shenoy has 24 years experience in upstream oil & gas, holding a variety of roles around technology development, management and marketing. He spent 20 years with Schlumberger, starting as a research scientist, and completed a series of assignments of increasing responsibility, culminating in his last position with Schlumberger as Vice-President of Research, managing Schlumberger global corporate research laboratories.

He subsequently became Chief Technology Officer of ConocoPhillips, a position he held for 4 years. He currently advises venture capital and private equity companies on matters of technology strategy and due diligence in the energy sector. He also serves on a number of advisory boards, most notably the US Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, and the Project Production Institute.

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Dr Jian Shi

Associate Professor, University of Houston

Dr. Jian (Jason) Shi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Engineering Technology at the University of Houston. His research focuses on the interplay between artificial intelligence and power systems, deep decarbonization of the electric grid, maritime transportation electrification, smart grid physical and cyber security, and improving energy affordability and accessibility.

Dr. Shi has authored 55 peer-reviewed journal articles, two book chapters, 50 conference papers, and one U.S. patent. He has secured over $1.8 million in credited research funding and contributed to projects totaling over $9 million, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Academies, and various industry partners. He has been an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid and IEEE Power Engineering Letters since 2026.

His work has been recognized with numerous national honors, including the NSF CAREER Award (2024), the Early-Career Research Fellowship from the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program (2024), the DOE EnergyTech Faculty Explorer Award (2025), and the Best Paper Award at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (2025). He was also named a President’s Circle Award recipient at UH (2025 and 2026), an Emerging Leader by the Offshore Technology Conference (2024), and an alumnus of the 2025 National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering (NAE-FOE) Symposium.

Dr. Shi has led global and interdisciplinary efforts, including the UH–Pandit Deendayal Energy University (India) collaboration on distributed energy systems and the Texas Higher Education Delegation to South Africa to promote inclusive energy transition strategies. He has supervised/co-supervised 9 Ph.D. students and mentored over 30 undergraduate senior design teams. His students have earned top national placements in competitions such as the DOE Carbon Management Collegiate Competition, Solar District Cup, and the UH Innovation Commercialization Competition.

He actively contributes to the professional community through participation in more than 10 IEEE working groups and task forces, including the IEEE Marine Systems Coordinating Committee, the IEEE Climate Change Technical Committee, and the IEEE PES Climate Change Committee. Since 2021, he has served on the Young Editorial Board of the journal of Applied Energy.

Prior to joining UH, Dr. Shi was an Assistant Research Professor at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) and an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Mississippi State University, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2014. He is a Senior Member of IEEE.

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Bruce A. Strupp Jr.

Vice President ABB Marine & Ports - Marine Systems US & Canada, ABB

Bruce A. Strupp Jr. is Vice President at ABB, where he leads the company’s Marine Electrification new build business across the United States and Canada. ABB is a global leader in maritime vessel and port electrification and automation. With more than 30 years of experience in the global maritime industry, Bruce has held diverse roles spanning sales, propulsion and engine product development, strategy and business development, project management and ship operations. His broad technical and commercial background provides a unique perspective on the energy transition and digital transformation shaping the marine sector.

Before joining ABB, Bruce spent 21 years at Caterpillar Inc., building deep expertise in marine power systems and customer-focused solutions. Bruce is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Systems Engineering. He previously held a Third Assistant Engineer’s License (unlimited tonnage, steam and diesel) and served in the United States Naval Reserve.

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Greg Trostel

Global Industry Development Manager, Rockwell Automation

Greg has over thirty years of experience in the energy industries and is currently a global industry development manager for Rockwell Automation, leading the Floating Production Initiative for both Rockwell and Sensia.

Greg started his career as a coop student with MW Kellogg based in Houston, and spent a combined 13 years with Kellogg/KBR in several engineering disciplines before moving into international sales.  His time there was marked by several international assignments with a focus on joint venture partner development.

Greg also spent significant time in technology & software development within the industry, which include sales development work at Aspen, AVEVA, Meridium and PAS. 

Before joining Rockwell, Greg was involved in global project pursuit and strategic account management with Puffer/Emerson, including an international assignment covering the Middle East / Africa world area.

Greg has a Chemical Engineering degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

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Peter Wallace PE, CEng, CMarEng, FIMarEST

Principal Engineer, Lloyds Register

Peter Wallace, PE, CEng, CMarEng is Principal Engineer in the Maritime Performance Services--Applied Technology Group of Lloyd’s Register, based in Houston Texas. He is a practicing naval architect working in the technology development, risk, and regulatory spaces in maritime and offshore in such topics as decarbonization, dynamic positioning, and structural digital twins. Peter holds a BSc in naval architecture and marine engineering from Webb Institute of Naval Architecture and an MBA from Tulane University. Peter is a Member of Corporation at Woods Hole Oceanographic.

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Collin Weston

Director of Naval Architecture, Saronic

Collin Weston is the Director of Naval Architecture of Saronic, where he leads the development of new vessels and ensures the continued naval architecture excellence of all Saronic products.

Throughout his career, Collin has worked on a wide variety of hull forms including yachts, high-speed recreational craft, combatants, jack-up oil platforms, amphibious vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, hydro foiling vehicles, and inflatable craft. His experience also spans the full design-and-build process from early-stage concept work to leading at-sea testing.

Collin holds a MS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of New Orleans, and a BS in Maritime Systems Engineering from Texas A&M University at Galveston.

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Rachel Zhou

Global Business Delivery Manager, Shell Shipping & Maritime

Rachel Zhou is currently the Global Business Delivery Manager with Shell Shipping & Maritime, based in Houston. With more than 10 years of experience across upstream, midstream, and trading & supply, she has led projects ranging from energy infrastructure and commissioning to data platforms and AI-enabled solutions. Since joining Shell in 2023, Rachel has focused on modernizing maritime data ecosystems, advancing digital transformation initiatives, and helping organizations unlock value through data, automation, and emerging technologies. She is passionate about bridging business and technology to deliver practical, scalable solutions that improve operational performance and decision-making.

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