BS, Virginia Polytechnic Institute (and State University), 1986, Materials Engineering
MS (the first), Pennsylvania State University, 1988, Metals Science and Engineering
MS (the second), Tennessee Tech University, 1999, Chemical Engineering
I've worked all of my career in the corrosion and materials field. My first master's thesis was a corrosion study. The first seven years of my career were largely spent doing failure analysis, but I did some neat corrosion studies in my first job. After getting the second master's, I was going to change fields to chemical engineering, but the jobs weren't there. I ended up back in corrosion and materials. I did some more failure analysis and some bigger opeating unit studies. I've moved to a petrochemical plant where I handle more day to day questions and know enough chemical engineering to make the process engineers miserable with my suggestions. I still do some unit-level corrosion study/documentation work.
What is your field?
Bill
GREAT.. I already knew you were "heavy".. I am so impressed with the various backgrounds of FReepers.. and some are not so well endowed (intellectually/educationally) but are still outstanding people. Kind, good, smart. you are special!
BSc Materials Science Eng - Michigan Tech University 2003
MSc Matls Sci Eng - University of Alberta "Fine NbC ( ~5 nm) Precipitation (strengthening) in Microalloyed Steels" (still in progress).
I had internships with a mini-steel mill, three with a hydraulics company, and my final during my undergrad was with a DSAW line pipe mill.
Pretty familiar with welding, and failure analysis (ultrasonic, X-ray, mag particle, mechanical...). Done internal auditing, supervised a couple large girth-weld inspection projects, some design-oriented things too. Most likely I will go into oil (I would really like to go to Alaska!!)
I was very close to doing my MSc at Georgia Tech on a corrosion project, but I enjoy physical metallurgy. On the other hand, my project has had its ups and downs so I don't know if I made the right choice!
I'll have to start picking your brain for some contacts and info in the pet-chem industry.