The National Corrosion Center has lost one of our beloved board members and friend, Matt Simmons.  He passed away on Sunday night at his home in Maine.  Matt had become one of our staunchest supporters and saw the NCC as a critical component and partner in the Ocean Energy Institute, which he started three years ago.  He would often tease me about if I wasn’t at Rice I would call corrosion for what it really is- “RUST”.   He was a giant in the energy industry and I will very much miss my great friend and mentor. 

Our sympathies go out to his family and colleagues and in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Ocean Energy Institute (http://www.oceanenergy.org).

Read Josh Garrett’s article.

Emil Peña

Emilio Peña spoke with President Martinelli, President of Panama, about the National Corrosion Center at a special UTMB/ University of Panama accord signing on October 28, 2009. Pictured from left to right: Emilio Peña, President Martinelli, Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan and Houston City Councilmember Mike Sullivan.

The National Corrosion Center has signed or anticipates pending signatures on MOUs and general membership agreements with several partners including: NACE International, City of Knowledge-Panama, Houston Port Authority, University of Arkansas, Alamo Protechtacoat, HHK Technologies, Risavika Gas Center-Stavenger, and UDLAP (Universidad de las Américas Puebla).

Creation of a regional  NCC Corrosion Lab and Training Center in Panama’s Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge) has been approved.  NCC Director Andreas Lüttge and Executive Director Emil Peña will visit in April 2009 to discuss next steps. City of Knowledge is a government sponsored cluster of academic organizations, technology companies and non-governmental organizations located across the Panama Canal’s Miraflores locks in what used to be US. Army South headquarters, Fort Clayton.

NCC,  RPSEA and  NACE International will co-sponsor Protecting the Nation’s Infrastructure into the 21st Century at Rice University in Fall 2009. Dr. Norman Hackerman, an internationally recognized electrochemist, was President of both the University of Texas-Austin and Rice University.  Co-chaired by former Texas Governor Mark White and Nobel Laureate Dr. Robert Curl, the symposium will explore many aspects of the degradation of public infrastructure through the ravages of corrosion. Details to follow. The symposium is a follow-up to 2008′s  The Corroding of America’s Infrastructure”.