Tom Phalen is an Associate Teaching Professor at the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL) at Rice University, where he has been since July 2015. With a distinguished 38-year career at Fluor, a Fortune 100 Engineering and Construction Company, he brings extensive leadership and management experience to his role. Throughout his career, Phalen held various positions, including process engineer, project manager, and General Manager of Fluor’s Houston office, where he oversaw teams ranging from a few members to over 2,000. His experience encompasses leading large, multicultural teams on complex projects and managing operations across multiple offices.At Rice University, Dr. Phalen teaches courses focused on engineering project management, including Engineering Project Management: Initiating and Planning, Engineering Project Management: Risk, Quality, Teams, and Procurement, and Engineering Project Management: Scope, Time and Cost Management. He combines his technical engineering expertise with practical lessons learned from his extensive career to prepare students for leadership roles in today's global environment. As a Project Management Professional (PMP), he aims to equip future engineers with the skills necessary to lead effectively and manage projects successfully in a competitive landscape.

Kazimir "Kaz" Karwowski serves as the Executive Director of the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL) at Rice University, a position he has held since July 2013. With a robust background that includes four years with the Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program and three years in MIT’s Army ROTC Program, Kaz has dedicated over a decade to developing leaders in engineering and military settings. His 20-year career in the U.S. Army Infantry Branch culminated in his retirement in 2009, after which he transitioned to academia. Kaz's leadership experience includes serving as a Platoon Sergeant in Iraq and leading diverse teams during missions in Somalia, Haiti, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.At RCEL, Kaz focuses on integrating leadership development with entrepreneurship, mentoring startups, and fostering innovation among students. He teaches courses such as Engineering Project Management: Initiating and Planning, Engineering Project Management: Risk, Quality, Teams, and Procurement, and Engineering Project Management: Scope, Time and Cost Management. His commitment to cultivating future leaders is evident through his active involvement in the entrepreneurship community at Rice, where he emphasizes the synergy between leadership skills and entrepreneurial success. Kaz's extensive experience equips him to provide practical insights that prepare students for leadership roles in engineering and technology.