Clarissa Belbas was recently welcomed as the director of resources for San Jacinto College's LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology (CPET), which opened in September.
Clarissa Belbas, Director of Resources, San Jacinto College CPET
Belbas has taken on the responsibility to establish partnerships within the petrochemical industry for incumbent worker training. With experience from NASA, Amoco and BP, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the program.
"I was working as an adjunct in the engineering department at San Jac, and this position seemed to marry my two passions: STEM and education," Belbas said. "I'm excited to work with industry partners to see how we can be a resource for training and education."
The goal for incumbent worker training is to offer course packages to industry partners that train their employees to advance their skills in specific areas. San Jacinto College instructors, along with educational partners like Siemens and Emerson, would lead the curriculum for each course.
"Training can look like an eight-hour day split between process technology and instrumentation labs or a one-week boot camp for engineers," said Belbas. "We are going to offer a buffet of courses for companies to pick from, but it is up to them what they put on their plate."
One of the first to enlist San Jacinto College's incumbent worker training is BP, which will hold a one-day crash course in petrochemical operations early in 2020, utilizing the center's labs.
The CPET facility houses degree programs in process technology, instrumentation, electrical, NDT and EHS, but will also offer certification courses in craft trades such as pipefitting, millwrighting, and instrumentation and electrical. The building's 39 labs, in addition to the 8,000-square-foot exterior glycol process unit, are all used for degree programs but are also fully available to incumbent worker training, based on the needs and desires of industry.
"Clarissa is the perfect fit for the job," said Jim Griffin, associate vice chancellor and senior vice president for the center. "We are designing courses for both owners and contractors to assist with their instruction in our facilities with state-of-the-art equipment."
Led by LyondellBasell's $5 million donation as the facility's naming rights partner, many of the region's industry leaders also donated funding and equipment to CPET, including Eaton, Emerson, Albemarle Foundation, BIC Magazine/ BIC Recruiting, Dow, Evosite, Hunter Buildings, INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, International Cooling Tower, Kuraray, Lubrizol, nVent Thermal Management, Olympus Corps. of the Americas, Shell Oil Co., Siemens Analytical Products & Solutions, Swagelok, and Donald Wiedemeyer - Valve World.
The new center is located at 7901 W. Fairmont Parkway in Pasadena, Texas.
For more information, visit www.sanjac.edu/cpet.
