Category Archives: Engineering
With 11 February marking the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, female physicists, engineers and computer scientists from CERN and from Fermilab share their experiences of building a career in science.
Evangelia Gousiou: “Nothing beats the rush you get when something that you designed works for the first time.”
Electronics engineer, Evangelia Gousiou, began her career studying IT and Electronics in Athens, Greece, before beginning an internship at a manufacturing plant in Thailand. She came to CERN for a one-year position, and now, ten years later is still at CERN enjoying a job that is never boring.
“Work is never repetitive, which makes it very rewarding. I usually follow a project through all its stages from conception of the architecture, to the coding and the delivery to the users of a product that I have built to be useful for them. So I see the full picture and that keeps me engaged.” – Evangelia Gousiou
For Evangelia, to be a good electronics engineer means knowing a range of disciplines, from software to mechanics. There is also the human aspect, as she works daily with people from many different cultures.
At school, her favourite subjects were maths and physics, as she enjoyed finding out how things worked, yet Evangelia never dreamt of being an engineer when she grew up. When the time came to choose what to study, she felt that engineering would be something interesting to study and future-proof, and then she got hooked and now can’t imagine doing anything else. “I would recommend engineering professions for their intellectual challenge and the empowerment that they bring,” she beams.
Source: CERN
Michael K. Wirth Named Chairman and CEO of Chevron
Chevron Corporation announced that its Board of Directors elected Michael K. Wirth chairman of the board and chief executive officer, effective February 1, 2018. Wirth, who is currently vice chairman of the board and executive vice president of Midstream and Development, succeeds John S. Watson, who will retire from the company and its board on February 1, 2018, after 37 years of distinguished service, including eight years as chairman and CEO.
“Mike is a proven leader who is ideally suited to lead Chevron into the next chapter of our history,” said Watson. “He has the right values, knowledge and experience, and has established a strong record of accomplishment in his 35 years with the company.”
Wirth, 56, said, “I appreciate the confidence that John and the board have placed in me. Chevron has a proud 138-year history of developing the energy that improves lives and powers the world forward. I am honored to have been selected to carry on that tradition.
“Under John’s leadership, we’ve developed legacy assets in Kazakhstan, Australia and the Permian Basin that will underpin our portfolio for decades to come. John will also be remembered for his plain-spoken and principled views on company business and energy policy matters,” Wirth added.
Wirth joined Chevron in 1982 as a design engineer. Since that time, he advanced through a number of engineering, construction and operations positions. Wirth was named vice chairman of the board of directors in February 2017. He is also executive vice president of Midstream and Development, a position he has held since 2016. Previously, he was executive vice president of Downstream & Chemicals for nearly a decade. Prior to that he served as president of Global Supply and Trading and president of Marketing for Chevron’s Asia/Middle East/Africa business, based in Singapore. He also served on the board of directors for Caltex Australia Limited and GS Caltex in South Korea.
Ronald D. Sugar, lead independent director for Chevron’s Board of Directors, said, “John has done an outstanding job in guiding the company through one of the industry’s most tumultuous periods. During John’s tenure, Chevron’s stock has outperformed its peer companies by a wide margin and he leaves the company well prepared for the future.” Sugar added, “Mike is ready to be Chevron’s next chairman and CEO. He has the right business experience and leadership qualities to extend the company’s success, and the board has full confidence in his ability to do so.”
Watson, who turns 61 in October, joined Chevron in 1980 as a financial analyst and went on to hold financial, analytical and supervisory positions before being appointed president of Chevron Canada Limited in 1996. In 1998, he was named a corporate vice president with responsibility for strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions.
In 2000, Watson led the company’s integration effort following the Chevron-Texaco merger and then became the corporation’s chief financial officer. In 2005, he became president of Chevron International Exploration and Production. In April 2009, he was named vice chairman of the company, before being elected chairman and CEO in September of that year.
“I have been blessed to have had the extraordinary opportunity to lead Chevron, and I will miss my daily interactions with our dedicated employees around the world,” said Watson. “I am proud of many Chevron accomplishments, but none more so than the improvements we made in process safety and leadership development.”
In a related move, Watson said that Mark A. Nelson will become vice president of Midstream, Strategy & Policy, effective February 1, 2018. In his new role, Nelson will be responsible for the company’s supply and trading, shipping, pipeline and power operating units. He will also oversee corporate strategy, as well as policy, government and public affairs.
Prior to his current position, Nelson, 54, served as the president of International Products, responsible for the refining and marketing businesses in Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. Before that, he was president of Chevron Canada Limited, an upstream business headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.
Chevron Corporation is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. Through its subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide, the company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemicals and additives; generates power; and develops and deploys technologies that enhance business value in every aspect of the company’s operations. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.
CAT® MACHINES HELP BRING GOLF BACK TO BIG EVENT IN RIO
A Big Event is happening in Rio de Janeiro for the first time starting August 5 and after 112 years golf will once again be played. Construction of a new golf course was needed, and Cat® machines helped make it happen.
Located in the Barra da Tijuca zone, the project took about two years to complete and opened in late 2015. The 970,000 square meter course is considered one of the most modern in the country and the only course in Brazil approved by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA).
The construction was led by Tanedo S/A and an international team specializing in the development of golf courses. This team has a tradition of using only Cat equipment where they’re contracted.
“SOTREQ WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING EQUIPMENT WITH HIGH PRODUCTION CAPACITY THAT WOULD ACHIEVE THE LEVEL OF QUALITY AND ACCURACY REQUIRED BY THE COMMITTEE”
Cat dealer Sotreq provided several pieces of Cat equipment for the project, including the D6N and D6K Dozers, 315D and 324D Excavators, 416E Backhoe and 305E Mini Excavator.
“Sotreq was responsible for providing equipment with high production capacity that would achieve the level of quality and accuracy required by the committee,” explains Alexandre Bastos, Sotreq Commercial Manager.
The main challenge faced by Sotreq was providing machines with both agility and productivity, as Tanedo S/A committed to completing the golf course in the very short period of time stipulated by the events’ committee. To achieve this, Sotreq recommended the use of tilting buckets. “They are suitable to achieve the type of finish and terrain profiles needed by the committee. The use of such equipment made all the difference during field preparation,” says Bastos.
“Given the importance of the project and especially the historical context, we could not be out of it. The golf course was designed with a new concept of design and is considered one of the most modern in the world. Being involved brings our dealership a tremendous amount of pride,” concludes Bastos.
Source: Chevitarese, Camilla. “Sotreq nas Olimpíadas.” ELO News, July 2016