I grew up in South Korea, and my family immigrated to Philadelphia, PA in 1999. After finishing my degree in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State, I joined DuPont in Houston as a facilities engineer focusing on reliability and mechanical integrity (MI). Later, I joined Kinder Morgan as a mechanical integrity engineer, where I focused heavily on developing an MI program, managing turnarounds, and implementing an Inspection Data Management System (IDMS) software.
Mechanical integrity is my specialty and passion. A typical project may range from conducting assessments, developing procedures, to providing technical advice on Inspection, Testing, and Preventive Maintenance (ITPM). For years – I was on the client end of these needs, so I’m fortunate to be able to bring the perspectives of the owner/operator. I also serve as AcuTech’s voting member on the API Subcommittee on Inspection and Mechanical Integrity (SCIMI).
Although process safety has numerous areas of focus, and involves a large spectrum of inter-disciplinary functions – we’re all ultimately working towards the objective of cultivating a safe, and responsible processing environment.
One thing that I’ve been thinking about a lot is the necessity of inter-disciplinary alignment among the 14 elements of PSM. Industries have made a significant progress in the individual elements of process safety, but we often find that each element still operate in a silo. In reality – each element is interconnected to one another in substantive ways.
At AcuTech, I’m encouraged to bring my entrepreneurial spirit forward. The ways that we assist our clients are highly customized per each project, and requires creative solutions to address the problems effectively. This allows me to use the creative side of my brain for a fulfilling purpose.
I was a musician and a dancer before I decided to study engineering, so I continue to be one!