Fall 2008 Faculty Spotlight

After 18 years at UC Berkeley, Dr. Tad Patzek uprooted to come to UT Austin as the Chair of the Petroleum Engineering Department. This is not his first time to live in Texas for back in the 80’s he worked at the Shell Development Center in Houston. While there he was a continuing education student of Drs. Larry Lake and Gary Pope. Larry’s tough problems were demanding and made a lasting impression on Tad. He formed a friendship with both men and in doing so he has had ongoing knowledge about the department. He realizes that UT Austin’s role in petroleum and energy issues is a vital one.

When asked why he came to UT, Tad noted there is no easy answer, but he continued by saying, “Energy problems are not adequately represented in academia.” With his expertise and experience, he intends to change that. He also said, “I need to try new things and if I didn’t make the change now, I probably never would.” Not only did he change his employment, but he is going to change his lifestyle. Tad and his wife purchased 15 acres on the outskirts of town and are aiming to be as sustainable as possible. They plan to manage their environment by using passive and active solar and water management. He sounds like he will indeed help academia better address energy supply issues.

Despite the demands of a new job, Tad attended the Cockrell School’s New Faculty Orientation. He learned two key ideas – “UT’s engineering school takes better care of incoming faculty” and “the Faculty Innovation Center (FIC) is a useful resource.” He appreciated the introduction to Blackboard and the feedback given to the new professors as they did their microteaches (mini-lessons designed for practice, feedback, and reflection). He is now working with the FIC on PGE’s Facebook site and he plans on visiting us for graphic assistance with grants.

Tad will keep busy as the chair and by teaching the introduction to petroleum engineering class to 130 freshman students. He relishes teaching first year students for they are “very eager to learn, not jaded, not set in their own rhythm, and they are willing to reach far.” In his early days of teaching, he published a paper with his freshman students. This class and the paper served as an impetus for his keen interest in renewable energy. Berkeley did something unusual and issued a public release of the paper and shortly thereafter an energy bill was passed by Congress and Tad had found his niche.

We welcome Tad to the Cockrell School. Being around Tad is a positive and energizing experience and we look forward to working with him.