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Dr. Jorge R. Lara, Texas A&M University

Dr. Lara is Instructional Associate Professor of Engineering at Texas A&M University in the First Year Engineering Program. He is faculty affiliate of the Institute of Engineering Education and Innovation and the Energy Institute of the College of Engineering. Dr. Lara received his PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering in 2005 and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2003 from Texas A&M University. He held a Post- doctoral fellowship in the Chemical Engineering Department in Texas A&M University. He has served as the Energy Program Manager of the Texas A&M University System, which is composed of 20 campuses across the state of Texas. Dr. Lara serves as journal article reviewer for The International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer (Elsevier), Desalination (Elsevier), Desalination and Water Treatment (Elsevier), and The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (John Wiley). His research interests are engineering education in sustainable development, sustainable design of complex energy systems, vapor compression desalination, reclaiming produced water in oil fields, modeling simulation and optimization of energy systems, energy and water supply chain, energy use, conservation and lighting technologies for buildings, communications for energy systems, water use in hydraulic fracturing, environmental impacts of energy production, turbomachinery for energy use and its reliability.

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Dr. Weichold is Interim Executive Vice President and Provost of Texas A&M University, Regents Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Executive Director of the Halliburton Engineering Global Program of the College of Engineering. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. He has served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, TAMU, College of Engineering, 2016 – 2017, Dean/CEO Texas A&M University at Qatar, 2007-2015, TAMU Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Associate Provost for Academic Services, 2003-06, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Programs and Academic Services, 1998-2003, TAMU Associate Department Head and Graduate Coordinator, TAMU, 1996-97. TAMU Associate Director of CEMDAS, 1997-98, TAMU Director of the Program for Automation in Manufacturing, 1991-94, TAMU Associate Director of NanoFab, 1987-90, Dr. Weichold is currently Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, his research interest is in Engineering Education in Sustainable Development, Automation in Manufacturing, Nano Fabrication. He has revised freshman engineering curriculum to integrate topics in physics, mathematics, and engineering, serve as a Program Evaluator for Electrical Engineering, and similarly titled programs, for ABET, He is a member of the Board of Governors of Habib University and Chair of its Academic Committee.

In January 2007, he became Dean and CEO of Texas A&M University’s branch campus in Doha, Qatar.
After completing nine years as the Dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar, he returned to College Station to assume the role of Senior Associate Dean in the College of Engineering.

He is a Life Fellow of the IEEE, a member of the American Physical Society, an ABET program evaluator, and a licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas. In 2013, he was awarded the Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah International Energy Award for ‘Lifetime Achievement for the Advancement of Education’.

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Dr. Sunay Palsole. is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Engineering Remote Education. He is the founder of the Engineering Studio for Advanced Instruction & Learning, an organization designed to help with supporting technology enhanced innovation within engineering education. A geophysicist by academic training, he has been involved in teaching, technological development and management for more than twenty years. He has published and presented in the areas of online and blended learning, sustainable models of development and data driven decision making. He is the co-developer of the Active Learning in Engineering Program, which has helped to support faculty in adapting/adopting transformative teaching pedagogies in their teaching.

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Professor Patrick Linke is Executive Director, Office of Graduate Studies, Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), Doha, Qatar. 2015 – Program Chair, Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), Doha, Qatar. 2014 – Professor of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), Doha, Qatar. 2011 – Founder and Co-Director, Qatar Sustainable Water & Energy Utilization Initiative (QWE), Texas A&M University at Qatar, Doha, Qatar. 2009 – Chief Engineer and Director of Water and Energy Sectors, Qatar National Food Security Programme (QNFSP), Office of the Heir Apparent, Doha, Qatar. 2008 – 2014.Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), Doha, Qatar. 2007 – Senior Lecturer (UK equivalent to Associate Professor rank) in Process Systems Optimization, School of Engineering, University of Surrey, U.K. 2005 – 2007. Lecturer (UK equivalent to Assistant Professor rank) in Process Systems Optimization, School of Engineering, University of Surrey, U.K. 2001 – 2005. Research Assistant, Centre for Process Integration, University of Manchester (UMIST), U.K. 1997 – 2001.

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