MTS Houston Section awards over $30,000 in scholarships and student support each year, thanks to the generosity of our members and event sponsors. Click here to view a recent "thank you" letter from Alvin College. Or click on the image to see an enlarged version of this recent letter from Texas A&M.

Programs supported by the Section include:

• TAMU and TAMUG Scholarships
• MTS Member Sponsored Scholarship
• Floating Classroom program
• Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE)
• Science Fair
• Endowment Scholarship Fund
• MTS ROV Committee Scholarship

Students really do appreciate the support and encouragement that MTS Houston Section provides. Each year, the Section endeavors to increase its scholarship fund, and each year our efforts are rewarded. Our scholarships and educational donations help many college-level students pursue their academic goals, they support the Floating Classroom project, and encourage high school students to excel in the Science Fair. The Section receives many thank you letters from these students - two recent examples are included here.

TAMU and TAMUG Scholarships: (Approximately $26,000)

Scholarships and educational assistance awarded to TAMU and TAMUG students include:

Wayne Ingram Scholarship .... $2,500.00
Glen Lochte Scholarship...... $2,000.00
CA Richards Sr. Scholarship .... $2,000.00
Dr. John Freeman Scholarship .... $2,000.00
Marine Archaeology Scholarship ..... $4000.00

(Click on the name of the person in whose name the scholarship is awarded for more information about these industry contributors.)

MTS Houston Section Member Scholarship ($10,000)

The MTS Houston Section is taking applications for the 2008 MTS Houston Family Scholarship. Criteria for the 2008 awards are as follows:

• MTS sponsor must attend at least three (3) MTS events over the past six months, including luncheon sessions and other events like the golf tournament, barbeque, sporting clays, etc.
• Student must be sponsored by a MTS - Houston Section Member.
• Student must plan to attend an accredited college or university on a full time basis
• Student must have a Grade Point Average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
• Student must have acquired acceptance to the college of his/her choice
• Student must have a financial need
• Scholarship monies will be paid to the institution in the student’s name
• Applications and supporting documents must be received no later than April 30, 2008

Note that you can enter your information direct into the the PDF format application. Click on the typewriter symbol when the file opens and position your cursor over the section where you wish to enter text.

Mail completed application form and all requested documents to:

Dewayne Hollin
Texas Sea Grant College Program
2700 Earl Rudder Fwy South Suite 1800
College Station, TX 77845
979/845-3857
email: dhollin@.tamu.edu

The Selection Committee will review and score all applications submitted and each applicant’s references may be contacted by telephone. Applications should be submitted by (tentatively) April 16, 2008 The scholarship recipients will be notified in June 2008.

Floating Classroom

This program introduces school children to the wonders of the ocean and marine life. Click here for more information.

Science Fair - $4,400

Held each year in March, the Houston Section donates around $1,000 a year to support the Fair. In addition, prizes of $2,000 (First Place); $1,000 (Second place) and four $100 certificates are awarded.

Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE)

The Section supports both the regional and national competition. Over 400 schools and community colleges participate in the annual event

Endowment Fund

The Section is currently contributing to an TAMU endowment fund scholarship designed to generate income to fund future scholarships.

Wayne B. Ingram

Dr. Wayne B. Ingram was born in Lott, Texas on January 17, 1935. Dr. Ingram obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas, Austin, in 1961, 1962, and 1965 respectively. Since graduation Dr. Ingram has been a practicing engineer in offshore oil-field activities worldwide with most of his activities in the foundations and soil mechanics areas. He is a registered professional engineer in the States of Texas and Louisiana.

After graduation Dr. Ingram spent twelve years as a Civil Engineer for Shell Oil and Shell Development Companies including 3 years in production operations, 3 years in the structural design group as lead designer on 6 offshore platforms and many special studies, and 6 years in Research and Development. Five of the R&D years were as Supervisor of Civil Engineering Research for Shell Development Company including responsibility for foundation, structural, oceanographic and marine environmental research. Dr. Ingram left Shell in 1976 and spent 5 years with two consulting engineering firms before starting his own company, Seafloor Engineers, Inc, in 1982 offering offshore consulting services to the oil industry world-wide. He sold his company to Fugro-McClelland in 1990 and became President of the Fugro-McClelland Marine Geosciences Company in 1991. He retired in 1993, formed Ingram Companies in 1994, and is active as an Offshore Engineering Consultant.

In 1988 Dr. Ingram, with his staff, prepared a comprehensive engineering document summarizing the state-of-the-practice for foundation design in coral, carbonate sediments, and chalk. He has developed and presented three multi-day technical schools for various clients. He was responsible for the foundation investigation for Shell’s first TLP, Auger, in almost 3000 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dr. Ingram has authored several papers on the performance of axial and lateral foundation elements in marine sediments, including carbonates and on the stability of jack-up rig foundations in the marine environment. He was an Offshore Distinguished Lecturer on Deep Water Drilling and Production Systems for the Society of Petroleum Engineers, is a member of the United Methodist Church, is a Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers and he served on the Board of Directors of the Offshore Technology Conference for 15 years, including Chairman in 1979-1980. He represented both ASCE and MTS to the board at different times. He possesses three patents on offshore soil sampling devices, was selected in 1994 as a Distinguished Engineering Graduate of the University of Texas and was selected as a Charter Member of the Civil and Architectural Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2003. He possesses a key to the City of Houston, which was presented by Mayor Jim McConn in 1980.

Dr. Ingram is a Fellow Emeritus in the Marine Technology Society, served the Houston Section of MTS in several capacities including Section Chair, was President of The Marine Technology Society for two years and presently is a past-President of the Marine Technology Society.

C.A. Richards

Charlie Richards is founder and CEO of C.A. Richards & Associates, a Houston-based Manufacturer’s Representative specializing in instruments for harsh and offshore environments. Charlie founded the company in 1971 and since then has grown its reputation within the Offshore Industry.

He has served the local community in many capacities. He was Deacon at Bellaire Methodist Church, served as President of Braeburn Little League, and President of Rolling Oaks Homeowners Association.

His industry involvement includes being a Charter Member of Offshore Energy Center, Member of National Ocean Industries Association, and 30-year Senior Member & Past Director of “Marine Sciences Division” of Instrument Society of America (ISA).

His MTS involvement includes serving as MTS National Budget & Finance Director. He was the MTS representative on the Board of Directors of the Offshore Technology Conference, and served as Vice Chairman 2001 and 2002 of OTC, then served as Chairman of the Board of the in 2003 and 2004. He is a Life Member of MTS.

Awards he has received include Member of the Year award in 1992 from the MTS Houston Section, in 2002 the MTS ROV Committee awarded CA Richards & Assoc., Inc. their Corporate Excellence Award, and he was elected as an MTS Fellow in 1995.

Glen Lochte, P.E.

Currently the Subsea Manager for the White Rose Project in St. John's, Newfoundland. Mr. Lochte has a background in Subsea Technology beginning in 1970 with engineering and management positions at FMC, HydroTech, Mohr Research and Engineering, British Borneo, Agip, and Husky Energy. He has worked internationally with several project assignments in Norway and Canada.

He has 13 Patents in oilfield and offshore technology and has a number of published articles.

He is a fellow in ASME and has a long term membership in MTS having been very active in the Houston Section until recent relocation.

Dr. John Freeman (1920-2004)

Dr. John C. Freeman, native Houstonian and lifelong meteorologist and oceanographer, worked in the field of meteorology and weather research since 1941. Dr. Freeman’s love of weather and science education touched the lives of many Houstonians, and others across the country.

Born in The Heights, he graduated from Sam Houston High School and received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Physics from the Rice Institute in 1941. He then attended the California Institute of Technology where he earned a Masters in Meteorology in 1942. He received a Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Chicago in 1952.

Since 1941, Dr. Freeman has been a meteorologist and has conducted research for several major companies and organizations. Some of his most notable work includes being a forecaster and researcher for the U.S. Army Air Force, U.S. Weather Bureau, Texas A&M University, Gulf Consultants, and the National Engineering Science Company. He has also conducted research at the University of Chicago, the Institute for Advanced Study, and is Professor Emeritus at the University of St. Thomas. He was the founding Director of the Institute for Storm Research Houston, Texas and continued as director from 1966 to 1987. He was an Assistant Scout Master in the Cypress, Texas area for many years as well as a charter member of the Jersey Village Volunteer Fire Department.

Dr. John C. Freeman was a Certified Consulting Meteorologist and Fellow of the American Meteorological Society. Dr. Freeman was also a member of the American Geophysical Union, the Marine Technology Society, and the National Council of Industrial Meteorologists.

Dr. Freeman’s research work has been at Weather Research Center since 1987. Still working energetically at 84, most of his recent research concerns the orbit of the Sun about the center of gravity of the solar system, and the affect of that orbit on sunspots and the Earth’s long range weather patterns.

Of his past research most notable would be his continuing development of numerical models for use in weather forecasting. Today’s computer models for weather prediction would not be possible without the work of the team he was a member of in 1950 at the Institute for Advanced Study. The team used the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Md. to make the first successful computer forecasts in 1950. Work continues today to define and predict the weather using mathematical equations. In 1950, a twelve-hour forecast was the goal. Models today predict weather for the next 14 days. Dr. Freeman was the last surviving member of that team and was honored for his contributions on the 50th anniversary of Operational Numerical Weather Prediction and the creation of the Joint Numerical Weather Prediction Unit held at the University of Maryland in June of 2004. The Joint Numerical Weather Prediction Unit was created in 1954. He also was instrumental in the development of The Texas Radar Tornado Warning Network in 1954.

In 1953, Dr. Freeman became an Associate Professor and Research Meteorologist at Texas A&M University at College Station, TX. He helped found the department that today is the Meteorology Department at Texas A&M University. In 1959 Dr. Freeman founded the Meteorology Department at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Tx. From 1959 until 1990, as a Professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, hundreds of students enjoyed his basic meteorology course given for non-meteorology students. Hundreds of other meteorology students benefited from his easy to understand explanation of weather and math.

Dr. Freeman was associated with several well-respected organizations in the science community. From 1975 to 1976 he served as Chairman of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Applied Meteorology Committee. Dr. Freeman was President of the National Council of Industrial Meteorologist from 1977 to 1978. He was the Chairman of the Marine Technology Society in 1970 and a scholarship has been established in his
name at the Houston Chapter.

Dr. Freeman received the following awards:

• Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advancement of Applied Meteorology, 2003 from the American Meteorological Society.
• Elected a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society - January 1978
• Certified Consulting Meteorologist - American Meteorological Society
• Outstanding Achievement for 1961 from the American Meteorological Society jointly with Archie M. Kahan, for organizing the Texas Tornado Radar Warning Network.
• Meisinger Award for 1951, from the American Meteorological Society jointly with Morris Tepper for work in hydraulic analogies to meteorological phenomena.

Dr. Freeman was instrumental in re-energize the Houston Chapter of the Marine Technology Society. Dr. Freeman serve as chairman.