SUT TAMU Student Chapter Welcomes Student Members and Leading Industry Representatives

by Natalie Zielinski, SUT-TAMU Vice President

above image: SUT-TAMU Board Members with the volunteer industry representatives.

Texas A&M University, September 15, 2015

The Society for Underwater Technology TAMU Student Chapter hosted its annual Welcome Dinner for over 100 of its student members in the Memorial Student Center with invited industry representatives from SUT-Houston. Colleges from every aspect of the University, including Geosciences, Engineering, Archeology, and Business, were represented that evening, demonstrating the multidisciplinary nature and uniqueness of SUT-TAMU. To begin the evening, the three 2015 Student Paper Contest winners were acknowledged and awarded $1,500 from SUT-London. The winning papers were selected among many high-quality papers submitted in the areas of Engineering, Science, and Technology by volunteers at SUT-Houston. The 2015 Student Paper Contest winners were Mr. Ahmad Abdullah in Engineering, Ms. Lindsay Martin in Science, and Mr. Kewei Chen in Technology.

Dr. Medina Cetina, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and SUT-TAMU Academic Advisor, read a message from Dr. Bob Allwood, CEO of SUT headquartered in London, congratulating the Student Paper Contest winners and recognizing the achievements of SUT-TAMU. Mr. Christopher Curran, BP Advisor and HIPPs and Subsea Controls Engineer for Deepwater Facilities, then gave a keynote presentation on the current underwater technology and procedures related to deep sea drilling with two case studies in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Following the presentation, students discussed the current and future opportunities of underwater technology as well as personal experiences with the many emerging and established industry representatives from SUT-Houston.

SUT-TAMU Sep 2015 2

Mr. Christopher Curran giving his presentation at the 2015 Welcome Dinner.

SUT-TAMU is a multidisciplinary student organization that works towards building a bridge between students and industry experts in the field of underwater technology, providing education and professional opportunities to its members. The TAMU student chapter was the first of its kind within the United States and, with the support of SUT-London and SUT-Houston, continues to gain momentum within the university as student membership grows.

SUT-TAMU is thankful for the volunteers who came and talked with students about their careers and provided advice to the next generation of subsea engineers and industry members. Specifically, a warm thank you is given to Mr. John Allen, President of Intecsea, Mr Roger Osborne, Senior Consultant for Ocean Flow International, Mr. Mark Siegmund, Subsea Systems Engineer and Wells Reliability Advisor for BP, Mr. Logan Brant, Project Geotechnical Engineer for Geosyntec, Ms. Nicole Otten, FMC Technologies Design Center Manager, Mr. Neil Manning, CEO of SLAM Group, Mr. Eric Sears, Technical Supervisor at the College Station Design Center for FMC Technologies, and Mr. Alan Foley, President of Svitzer Surveys.

The 2015 Welcome Dinner was a major success and the perfect introduction to a year full of engaging events and seminars spanning from tailgates and field trips to climate change and job-hunting strategies. SUT-TAMU is always looking for more members and sponsorship from companies for events. For more information about the organization and the upcoming events, please visit sut-tamu.org or email at [email protected]

Can a lobster be an archaeologist? SUT to launch illustrated children’s book to ignite interest in underwater sector career opportunities

The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) is getting set to launch a fun, informative, illustrated book for 10–14 year olds aimed at growing interest in the wonders of underwater technology.

The book titled, Can a Lobster be an Archaeologist – Quirky Questions and Fascinating Facts about the Underwater World, will be launched in November with many past and present SUT members contributing to the content.

From exploring lost treasure to sea monsters, ocean rubbish and how to build your own ROV, the book is packed with factual and fun stories brought to life by quirky illustrations by artist Rachel Hathaway.

Pre-orders of the book, which will retail at £12.99, are being taken at the Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition in Aberdeen this week which has the theme of ‘How to inspire the next generation’.

Emily Boddy, Publications Officer at SUT explained: “We want to bring to life the excitement of the underwater world to encourage young people to get interested in the sector. A group of 10 – 14 year olds has peer reviewed the content and given insightful feedback, but we think adults will also be interested in reading about the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, giant whirlpools and underwater robots.”

The book has been funded by the SUT, which is a not-for-profit organisation and all proceeds will go towards its agenda of supporting educational development and facilitating learning and networking opportunities. The title of the book originates from a story about an 8,000 year old settlement near the Isle of Wight, rediscovered by a lobster digging to create a burrow which was then found by divers.

To find out more or pre-order the book visit www.sut.org or contact [email protected]

SUT will at Offshore Europe on stand 6D19. Interviews are available with CEO Dr Bob Allwood, please get in touch if you would like to arrange a time.

 

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Issued on behalf of SUT by The BIG Partnership. For interviews or further information contact:

Gayle Grant, account director tel +44 (0) 1224 253808, 07702 737135 email [email protected]

Richard Crighton, senior account executive, tel +441224253813, email [email protected]