Professor Emeritus Richard Dawe has had a distinguished career.

Professor Dawe was the first holder of the TTMC (Trinidad and Tobago Methanol Company) Chair in Petroleum Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Head of the Petroleum Engineering Unit (1999-2011), when he retired in July 2011. He joined the UWI in August 1999, gaining tenure in February 2004 and was selected for the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for excellence for Research accomplishments and service to the University Community, 2004/2005. His research interests lie in the areas of reservoir engineering and reservoir physics, particularly those concerned with how reservoirs behave and reservoir physical properties. He has published over 230 papers. He gained a Vice-Chancellor’s Award UWI for excellence 2005 and the Fenrick De Four Award for Engineering NIHERST Trinidad in 2013.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, FRSC, the Geological Society of London, FGS, and the Energy Institute, FEI, and is a Chartered Engineer, CEng, Chartered Scientist, CSci, Chartered Geologist, CGeol, Euro Ingineur, EurIng, and sometime Chartered Chemist, CChem, and past Member of the TT Board of Engineering. At the UWI, he totally revamped and revitalised the MSc Petroleum Engineering Programme, which was accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3) in 2006, and the Energy Institute in 2010. His academic leadership spans teaching, research, supervision, administration and mentorship. He was external examiner for the UWI for Petroleum Engineering 1989-1992.

In 2001 he was instrumental in bringing on in fast track mode in the Faculty of Engineering a new undergraduate programme in Petroleum Geoscience Engineering, which is sponsored by industry and government to their needs. This programme is accredited by the Geological Society of London and the Energy Institute. It has produced over 220 graduates, many (~40) have gained MSc at the UWI and good overseas universities (over 20) and 10 have PhD.

Previously, from September 1997, he was the first holder of the Occidental Chair in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Qatar, Arabian Gulf where he established educational programmes in petroleum engineering to serve the needs of the State of Qatar. He had taken early retirement from Imperial College, UK in September 1997, after being in post there for 22 years. He had risen to become the Reader in Reservoir Physics in the Department of Earth Resources Engineering. At Imperial College he directed the successful MSc programme in Petroleum Engineering from 1993-97 as well as co-ordinated Petroleum Engineering teaching and research. He was on London University Senate 1989-93. He had joined Imperial College, London in 1975 following academic appointments in Chemical Engineering at Leeds University and the University of Manchester Institute for Science and Technology (UMIST). Richard Dawe holds a MA in Chemistry and a DPhil in Physical Chemistry from the University of Oxford (St Catherine's College), (1968)

He has wide research and teaching contacts with the EU, EPSRC and industry with much of his research being sponsored by oil companies. He has lectured widely, for instance in China, Argentina, USA, France, Germany and Indonesia. In research he has research interests in the broad area of applied thermodynamics and petroleum engineering/geoscience and has been active in many areas, in particular the use of natural gas hydrates in gas transport, desalination, the role of heterogeneities in reservoir displacements, condensate behaviour in the reservoir and fundamental aspects of heavy oil extraction and processing and alternative energies. He has supervised many research topics in physical properties, flow in porous media and hydrocarbon thermodynamics, and has been responsible for 25 PhD students and 9 Post Doctoral Fellows, and over 200 MSc students for their research projects. In his career, he has published over 245 papers mainly on his research interests, and edited the books ‘Development in Petroleum Engineering’ (1986) and 'Modern Petroleum Technology' published by the Energy Institute (London) in 2000 with chapter contributions. He has been internal examiner for 32 and external examiner for 41 PhD theses.

He was on the founding editorial board for the international journal 'Transport in Porous Media' and on the editorial committee of the ‘West Indian Journal of Engineering’ for 10 years, and the editorial advisory board for ‘Energy Sources’ (Taylor-Francis). He is a member of Peer Review College, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK. Richard Dawe was on the London SPE Board for some 20 years, and was particularly interested in student affairs and continuing education. He was recognised by SPE with the Europe and Africa Regional Award in October 1998, and again in 2011 by the Trinidad section.

Since his retirement Richard Dawe, Emeritus Professor in Petroleum Studies, has been busy using his petroleum engineering education knowledge, with activities in mentoring, assessments, examining, professional evaluation

• External examiner for PhD (7 candidates; 5 at Leeds University, 2 Imperial College)
• Professional Interviewer for Energy Institute for Candidates for CEng
• Short course in Reservoir Engineering, University of Malta
• Referee for research proposals for The University of Kuwait
• Submitted papers for publication in scientific learned refereed journals
• Refereed numerous papers for scientific/engineering journals
• Book reviewer for magazine of the Geological Society of London (10), Geoscience.
• Attendance at many presentations at learned societies
• Presentations of research work at seminars; 3 for London Petrophysical Society, 3 University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment.

In summary, Professor Dawe globally has

• International reputation in Reservoir Physics, with experience in experimental visualisation at core, micromodel and pore scales, particularly for petroleum exploration and reservoir characterization.
• Extensive international experience in Petroleum Engineering research as technical project leader.
• Strong publication record; over 230 publications, with over 80 since being at the UWI
• Strong interpersonal skills, good communicator; mentor; experienced technical editor.
• Accomplished teacher; particularly Reservoir Engineering.
• Skilled international academic administrator, with experience in programme start up.
• Successful fundraiser from industry.
• Member of Peer Review College, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK.

Professor Dawe’s major petroleum research interests lie mainly in the areas of reservoir engineering and petroleum geoscience, particularly visualising reservoir behaviour and reservoir physical properties.
fundamentals of enhancing oil recovery - development of visual micromodels to quantify pore scale phenomena and scaling up. Microscopic and macroscopic reservoir behaviour. Miscible, immiscible and low interfacial tension displacements, wettability and three-phase flow; role of gravity. Rheological applications in petroleum engineering, role of polymers, surfactants, emulsions and foams. Heavy oil, VAPEX recovery, foamy oil.
hydrocarbon thermodynamics - physical properties of petroleum fluids, hydrocarbon phase behaviour, solution gas evolution, reservoir depressurisation, water-alternate-gas (WAG) processes. Retrograde condensate and solution gas drive physics in porous media. Gas hydrates for desalination of seawater, gas transport, future reserves and hazards.
surface phenomena in porous media- reservoir rocks and fluid interactions, wettability, relative permeability, three phase flow, capillary pressure. Clays in porous media and effects on oil recovery and reservoir parameters. Scale formation, particularly carbonate. Sanding. De-oiling of oilfield wastewater.
effect of geological heterogeneities - (particularly permeability and wettability variations) on miscible and immiscible flow in porous media, on displacement efficiency, residual oil and near well-bore flow.
alternative energy – possibilities for the Caribbean Region, including geothermal energy; carbon footprint.
development of novel apparatus - for teaching purposes.
general - relationships of the petroleum economy; library contributions to higher education.