Congratulations to the newly promoted faculty, Balhoff and DiCarlo!
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January 16, 2013
The UT PGE department is pleased to announce Drs. Matthew Balhoff and David DiCarlo will be promoted to Associate Professor in fall 2013. Both Balhoff and DiCarlo joined the department in 2007 as Assistant Professors.
A native of Louisiana, Balhoff came to UT PGE shortly after earning both his B.S. and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana State University. His research interests include chemical enhanced oil recovery, geological CO2 storage, and reservoir simulation. Balhoff describes his research as “creative” and said he is “looking forward to making an impact in the energy sector, which faces some of the world’s most complex problems.” As a professor, Balhoff is known for his engaging teaching style and unique methodologies—he even learns all of his students’ names before the first day of class, which is no easy feat in a class of more than 100 students! In 2009, Balhoff won the UT PGE Departmental Teaching Award, in 2010 he was recognized by the Mortar Board Honor Society as a “Preferred Professor,” and in 2011 he won the ASEE Gulf Coast Southwest Outstanding Young Faculty Award.
On his promotion, Balhoff said, “I’m ecstatic to continue my tenure with the department, particularly educating our outstanding students, and working with some of the best researchers in the area of petroleum and geosystems engineering. What starts here truly changes the world.”
DiCarlo earned his B.S. in Physics from Case Western University, and both his M.S. and his Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University. In his five years with the UT PGE department, DiCarlo’s teaching methods have garnered much praise, and he has earned a reputation as an enthusiastic professor who truly cares about his students. Twice, he has been nominated for ‘Favorite Professor’ in the UT PGE Department, and in 2008, he won the UT PGE Departmental Teaching Excellence Award. DiCarlo believes “part of being an effective teacher is being an effective learner.” He values the “give and take” of being a professor to some of the brightest young minds in the nation, saying, “engaging with students and answering their questions has allowed me to understand concepts that I can take back to my research.” His research includes chemical enhanced oil recovery, gas enhanced oil recovery, and geological C02 storage, with a focus on applying advanced experimental techniques to understanding fluid flow in hydrocarbon reservoirs. His research on saturation overshoot was spotlighted in the EOS Research Spotlight, EOS, 92, No. 21, May 24, 2011.
DiCarlo considers himself, “very lucky to have the opportunity to equip the next generation of petroleum engineers with the tools necessary to navigate the obstacles of maintaining a stable hydrocarbon supply and, best of all, continuing to challenge young minds.”
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Balhoff and Dr. DiCarlo on their promotions!
