Mike T. O’Connor, founder of the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center and respected chemical engineer, passed away on Monday, July 18, 2022. O’Connor served as a board of director member of StarRotor Corporation, a startup company founded to commercialize revolutionary gerotor technology from Texas A&M University, for more than 18 years and as board of director member for Heat Transfer Research, Inc., a global leader in process heat transfer and heat exchanger technology, for more than 15 years.
News
Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center director provides expertise in Peru
Faisal Khan, director of the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, and Jorge Seminario recently served on an environmental safety expert panel in Peru. Khan and Seminario, Texas A&M University chemical engineering professors, shared their expertise as part of the Expert Panel on Environmental Safety at the invitation of the Ministry of Environment.
LNG plant explosion, fire brings attention to process safety importance
In June 2022, the LNG plant in Freeport, TX experienced an explosion and fire that shut down approximately one-fifth of the country’s liquified natural gas export capacity. Dr. Faisal Khan, director of the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, interviewed with Energy Wire to give insight into the complexity and importance of process safety for industry.
Student team places 2nd at inaugural Global TapRooT® Summit
Dr. Stewart W. Behie, associate center director of the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, mentored a cohort of students competing in the first TapRooT® student competition hosted at the 25th annual Global TapRooT® Summit. Students completed four weeks of training in preparation for a final exercise –– investigating a toxic spill.
Dr. Faisal Khan, Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center director, featured in special issue of Process Safety Progress
As the official publication of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Process Safety Progress recently published a special issue from the international conference and exhibition Loss Prevention Asia 2021. Dr. Faisal Khan, center director, contributed relevant research regarding topics including process safety management, risk assessment and maritime in process safety.