The Cullen College of Engineering’s ever-expanding subsea engineering program made headlines this week in E&P Magazine’s “Training tomorrow’s subsea engineers.” The article highlights the program’s involvement with industry giants like FMC Technologies and KBR. The magazine spoke exclusively with Phaneendra Kondapi, KBR adjunct professor of subsea engineering, about the program.
In the article, Kondapi mentions that a combination of baby boomers’ retirement and new subsea technology is what’s behind the sudden need for more highly educated and skilled subsea engineers.
Kondapi says his goal is to focus on contemporary issues in subsea classes in order to fully prepare his students. “The education system has to be changed. Not the entire education system, but the courses offered to the students who are going into the industry. They need to have these industry-ready courses, especially at the graduate level because they need to understand the science, the concepts and the application,” he said.