Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas is offering a new master’s program in port management, and recently named veteran port administrator Erik Stromberg to lead its new Center for Advances in Port Management.
Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas recently named veteran port administrator Erik Stromberg to lead its new Center for Advances in Port Management and prepare the next generation of port managers.
The CAPM will offer a Master’s program for students on a traditional college track or industry participants who can earn their degree through a remote, online environment, as well as conduct research on issues of importance to ports, such as risk management, cyber security, logistics modeling, and environmental regulation.
The center uses faculty resources from across campus including industrial engineering, civil engineering, business management, finance, safety and security. CAPM’s steering committee, composed of public and private sector industry professionals, will advise the center in the development of curriculum and research initiatives. Industry experts will be also recruited as lecturers and adjunct faculty, the university said.
The center, part of the Department of Industrial Engineering, is supported by a $2.72 million special appropriation from the Texas legislature.
In an interview, Stromberg said that until now there not been a place to get a degree in port management.
“You sort of learn on the job, whether you are a finance guy, a lawyer, an engineer, or a steamship guy,” he said.
“Managing a port requires a wide array of skills and knowledge in such areas as trade and economic trends, leadership and corporate management, port and terminal operations, safety and security, business development and marketing, strategic and business planning, finance, engineering and project management, environmental and other public policy issues, IT, government and public relations, among others,” Stromberg said in a statement issued by the school.
“We will pull in industry experts who have practical experience in all those areas,” he added. “While our students may have a background in any one of those key areas, the center will give them the breadth of knowledge across all key functions required to become a successful port director today.”
Stromberg told American Shipper he envisions a majority of students will be people from the port, terminal and related industries who want to raise their skill level by participating in an interdisciplinary program.
In addition to the master’s program, which is pending final approval from the Texas state university system, officials also plan to offer an MBA with a concentration in port management, a masters in engineering management with a concentration in port management, and certification programs for specific areas such as port finance for those who want to enhance their career opportunities without going through the full master’s program.
Strategic asset management is a critical aspect of a port director’s job today because maritime infrastructure is aging and finding money to rehabilitate and upgrade it is difficult in an era when low shipping rates and regulatory hurdles for expansion projects make private capital very cautious about investing, and public capital is very scarce, Stromberg said.
The industry veteran served as president of the American Association of Port Authorities between 1985 and 1995, and led the North Carolina State Ports Authority for 10 years, ending in 2004. He spent the past three years as senior consultant with Cardno, an Australian engineering consulting firm with U.S. offices in Charlottsville, Va. From 2006 to 2009, he served as port practice manager for Hatch Mott McDonald, an engineering consulting firm and from 2004-2006 he was ports and maritime practice lead with Booz Allen Hamilton of McLean, Va. While at AAPA, he created the first-ever port management certification program.
Stromberg also holds a master’s degree from the Institute for Marine Studies at the University of Washington.
“I think it’s going to be a great program,” said Chris Fisher, director of the Port of Beaumont.
Fisher dismissed the possibility that the CAPM would compete with Texas A&M’s maritime program, saying the former is more involved on the terminal and logistics side and the latter on ship operations.
(For more information about the program, see the attached brochure.)