Maritime Executive Magazines July-August 2011 Edition Now on the Streets
Our education edition features Dr. R. Bowen Loftin, President of Texas A&M University.
Bustling With Sophistication
Today’s maritime education and training environment is bustling with sophistication as modern stimulation’s realistic imagery rivals anything the Hollywood studios can produce and online educators demonstrate their amazing ability to deliver curriculum to an office, home or ship halfway around the world. Educators are meeting the challenges of our contemporary and mobile society. Meanwhile, traditional educators have invested significantly in modernizing their campuses to be more comfortable and equipped with cutting-edge technologies to enhance the training experience. It is a bold new world for maritime education and training and for an industry that has had huge demands imposed on it by the International Maritime Organization and coast guards around the world.
We are proud to feature on the cover of this edition the President of Texas A&M University, Dr. Robert Bowen Loftin, who is responsible for a $1.2 billion educational system including a student body of 50,000, 2,900 faculty and staff, and a physical campus of 5,200 acres. Prior to becoming the University President, Dr. Loftin was CEO of Texas A&M at Galveston, which includes the Texas Maritime Academy. The academy has a strong history and is one of the leading state academies in the nation, so MarEx readers will get a rare double treat in learning about both Texas A&M and the Texas Maritime Academy.
We are also excited to share a couple of gem articles about social media and cyber piracy. Barry Parker continues building on his excellent contributions to this publication with his latest endeavor, titled “Social Media: It’s More Than Just Personal.” This is a must read for business executives wondering if their company can benefit in a medium that is profoundly changing business and our personal lives. Meanwhile, Jack O’Connell has explored the Internet underworld with his piece, “Cyber Piracy: Clear and Present Danger?” It’s a dangerous cyber world in which we unknowingly tread, so users beware. Both of these articles are timely and essential reminders of an Internet moving faster than a speeding bullet.
Washington Insider columnist Larry Kiern takes this opportunity to cover a lot of maritime issues in his latest contribution. From foreign-flagged MODUs on the OCS to the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act and much more, Kiern has delivered a mid-summer eye-opener for all of you languishing in the record heat. Not to be outdone, Michael Economides takes us across the world to where Russia and China have formed a new alliance in an article titled “Russia and China: Old Comrades in Arms-New Comrades in Oil and Gas.” Once again the “professor of oil and gas” has hit the target dead-center, so enjoy. In his “Upgrades & Downgrades” column, Jack O’Connell takes a look at the state of the maritime industry. It’s a sobering piece on the financial condition of the industry. Take heed and consume this masterfully written article with care and caution because we have a long way to go, it seems. But we are up-ticking, aren’t we?
Returning writer Art Garcia takes us into the fascinating world of training simulators where the graphics and interaction rival any Gameboy program on the market. Garcia got together with George Toma of Transas USA and Clayton Burry of Kongsberg Maritime Simulation to explore their newest systems and cutting-edge technologies. Simulation training has never been so exciting, so enjoy. In her second contribution to MarEx, Kathy Smith has scribed a winner in reviewing maritime software as she reviews some of the hottest products on the market with some of the leading executives in the industry. Our annual review on software systems seems to get better every year as advances are moving the industry toward increased proficiency and profitability. First-time contributor Ilene Grifen explores the world of maritime medicine and its importance for safeguarding the lives of the industry’s most precious asset, the merchant mariner. And, finally, Tom Bethel, President of the American Maritime Officers union, which operates the Star Center training school, shares his rise from unlicensed seaman to head of a major maritime union. It’s truly an “executive achievement” worth reading.
The summer edition of MarEx did not hold back on its “journalism with distinction” promise to its readers. If you’ll invest the time, I promise you won’t come away disappointed. As 2011 rolls past the halfway point, all of us at MarEx thank you for your support and readership. See you around the hawsepipe. – MarEx
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