The UH Cullen College of Engineering shared the stage with FMC Technologies earlier this month as co-winners of a 2011 World Oil Award.
Presented by World Oil magazine, the awards recognize “the industry's leading innovators and innovations that represent the best technological achievements or contributions.”
The two won the Best Outreach Program honor for the Cullen College’s new Subsea Engineering Program. The program was proposed by executives at FMC and subsequently launched by the Cullen College at the beginning of 2011.
The program, which offers two certificates, focuses on the engineering sciences and best industry practices in deepwater oil and gas retrieval. Offering the first and only dedicated subsea curriculum in the United States, UH has admitted roughly 40 people to the program since January, when the first course launched.
Accepting the award for the Cullen College were Dean Joseph W. Tedesco and Matt Franchek, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Subsea Engineering Program.
“Response to the subsea program has been tremendous,” said Franchek. “We’ve gotten dozens of applications from potential students and received significant industry support. This award provides more proof that we’re educating engineers with the skills the petroleum industry needs to continue to thrive.”