Kondapi Named Subsea Director at Texas A&M
Dr. Phaneendra Kondapi (Photo: Texas A&M University)
Dr. Phaneendra Kondapi has joined the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University as the director for subsea engineering.
Kondapi brings to the position more than 20 years of experience in the industry with FMC Technologies and KBR, where he focused on engineering and consulting projects worldwide. As the KBR Adjunct Professor of Subsea Engineering at the University of Houston, he helped develop the first subsea engineering program in the United States.
“We are very pleased to have Dr. Kondapi join Texas A&M’s subsea engineering program as director,” said Dr. Kristi Shryock, executive director of interdisciplinary engineering programs. “He brings not only 20 years of industry-related experience, but also teaching experience with significant technical articles and presentations at various industry conferences and workshops. Building upon these experiences, I believe, will allow Texas A&M’s subsea program to become a world leader in a field that is emerging at the bottom of the ocean.”
Texas A&M’s master’s program in subsea engineering was established in 2014 and is one of only two such programs in the nation. Subsea engineering involves offshore oil and gas development and production operations from reservoir to onshore or platform and its challenges, throughout the life of the field.
“I am honored to lead the subsea program,” said Kondapi. “I know how important it is to design this program in such a way that we are sending top engineers into the oil and gas industry.”
Kondapi emphasized that subsea engineering is a multidisciplinary program. His plans include collaborating across the college and with industry to extend the subsea research and strengthen the courses. The goal is to provide a program so that students truly understand the technical details of subsea engineering and the practical skills required for the industry. The college of engineering currently offers a masters of engineering with an emphasis in subsea engineering.
Kondapi is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and a founding member of the Upstream Engineering and Flow Assurance Forum of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Kondapi received his Ph.D. from Tennessee Technological University and Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Andhra University, all in chemical engineering. He received the SPE Innovative Teaching Fellow Award from SPE International and the Outstanding Alumnus Award from Andhra University College of Engineering both in 2013.
