University

The White House said President Trump intends to nominate Rostin Behnam to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Behnam, a senior counsel to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), would serve the remainder of a five-year term set to expire June 19, 2021. Behnam previously practiced law in New York City and worked at the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and earned his law degree from the Syracuse University College of Law.

Halliburton Co. President Jeff Miller will add CEO to his title effective June 1, succeeding Dave Lesar, who is continuing as executive chairman. Miller, who already serves on the board, joined Halliburton in 1997 and formerly was COO. He holds a bachelor of science in agriculture and business from McNeese State University in Louisiana and a master’s degree from Texas A&M University. Lesar, who has been chairman and CEO since 2000, plans as executive chairman to focus on the company’s strategic direction and be actively engaged with shareholders and customers. Lesar, who joined Halliburton in 1993, entered into an executive employment agreement that provides that he will continue as executive chairman until mandatory retirement on Dec. 31, 2018; it also contains a four-year noncompete agreement. “I have known and worked with Jeff for almost 30 years and have great confidence that he is the best choice to be the next Halliburton CEO,” Lesar said.

The U.S. Deptartment of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has selected Pennsylvania State University to lead a six-year, $20 million project that will bring together eight other universities to research and advance the more efficient and clean use of fossil fuels, including shale oil and natural gas.

The U.S. Deptartment of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has selected Pennsylvania State University to lead a six-year, $20 million project that will bring together eight other universities to research and advance the more efficient and clean use of fossil fuels, including shale oil and natural gas.

William M. Gray, 86, emeritus professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University (CSU) and a pioneer of hurricane forecasting, has died. Gray, who headed the Tropical Meteorology Project, issued his first data-driven seasonal forecast at CSU in 1984. Rather than determining a tropical storm’s path or potential landfall, Gray is considered instrumental in using aggregated data to determine atmospheric conditions, water currents and temperatures to predict the number and intensity of storms. He received his bachelor’s degree in geography from George Washington University in 1952 before joining the U.S. Air Force, where he was a weather forecaster, and he earned a master’s degree in meteorology and a doctorate in geophysical sciences from the University of Chicago. Gray joined CSU in 1961 and retired in 2005, but he remained active in weather research. Gray, whose wife died in 2001, is survived by three children. The CSU’s 2016 hurricane forecast, issued earlier this month by Gray’s final graduate student Philip J. Klotzbach, now lead author, calls for an “average” major hurricane season (see Daily GPI,April 15).

William M. Gray, 86, emeritus professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University (CSU) and a pioneer of hurricane forecasting, has died. Gray, who headed the Tropical Meteorology Project, issued his first data-driven seasonal forecast at CSU in 1984. Rather than determining a tropical storm’s path or potential landfall, Gray is considered instrumental in using aggregated data to determine atmospheric conditions, water currents and temperatures to predict the number and intensity of storms. He received his bachelor’s degree in geography from George Washington University in 1952 before joining the U.S. Air Force, where he was a weather forecaster, and he earned a master’s degree in meteorology and a doctorate in geophysical sciences from the University of Chicago. Gray joined CSU in 1961 and retired in 2005, but he remained active in weather research. Gray, whose wife died in 2001, is survived by three children. The CSU’s 2016 hurricane forecast, issued earlier this month by Gray’s final graduate student Philip J. Klotzbach, now lead author, calls for an “average” major hurricane season (see Daily GPI,April 15).

University of Houston (UH) research that was coordinated by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has found some Barnett Shale natural gas wells, compressor stations and gas processing plants leak more methane than previously estimated, but many of the problems can be addressed through easy measures.

University of Houston research that was coordinated by the Environmental Defense Fund has found some Barnett Shale natural gas wells, compressor stations…

The University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), which had spent three months in search of an industry partner to investigate the impacts of natural gas and oil exploration, as well as development from shale formations, has put the project on hold after receiving no bids for the proposed research project.