XPE Research Advisory Board | Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Explosion Protection Engineering Research Advisory Board (2024–2026)

The Explosion Protection Engineering (XPE) Research Advisory Board represents leaders from academia, industry, and government agencies in fields like process safety, industrial risk management, explosion prevention, forensic investigation, and more. Dedicated to advancing the science and practice of explosion protection, this advisory board empowers WPI to equip present and future professionals with theoretical knowledge and practical training, including the latest industry standards, emerging trends, and cutting-edge applications.

Andreas Brandl

Andreas Brandl currently serves as the chief technology officer at IEP Technologies in Marlborough, Mass., where his professional endeavors concentrate on industrial explosion protection. With an extensive background in the oil and gas services industry, Brandl brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the realm of safety and risk management. In addition to his executive responsibilities, he is a member of the NFPA Technical Committee responsible for developing the Standard for Combustible Dusts (NFPA 660). Brandl earned his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Vienna University of Technology, in Austria, and his MBA at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.

Trygve Skjold

Trygve Skjold is associate professor of process safety at the University of Bergen (UiB), in Norway. His research interests include dust and gas explosions, including hydrogen safety and strength of knowledge in risk assessments. Skjold is the scientific director at HySchool, the Norwegian research school on hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels, and chair of the International Organizing Committee for the International Symposium on Hazards, Prevention and Mitigation of Industrial Explosions (ISHPMIE).

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