Sheldon Landsberger

Robert B. Trull Chair in Engineering Professor, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Landsberger is a Professor in the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering technical area. He has served on the faculty of the Cockrell School of Engineering since 1997. He has published more than 260 peer-reviewed papers and more than 195 conference proceedings mainly in nuclear analytical measurements and their applications in nuclear forensics, natural radioactivity and environmental monitoring of trace and heavy metals. He has been working in radioactivity measurements in the oil and gas exploration for 13 years. 

Abstract:

Perhaps the first radioactivity measurement in oil was first discovered in 1904 at the University of Toronto just a short eight years after the discovery in radioactivity in 1896 by Henri Bequerel in Paris. It was not till the 1980’s that the beginning of a multitude of investigations began in characterizing radioactivity in many aspects of the oil and gas industry. With more than 100 million barrels of oil produced every day worldwide the environmental impact can have environmental as well as health related concerns especially to the workers. The presentation will give some historical overview on the discovery of oil and how it the residues left behind should be monitored and treated. 

About the UT Energy Symposium: 

The UT Energy Symposium is a weekly guest lecture series that is both free and open to the public and available for course credit. 

In an effort to provide a multi-disciplinary platform for UT faculty and students to interact on the most pressing energy issues facing our world, the Energy Institute sponsors the UT Energy Symposium (UTES), which will enter its 29th semester in fall 2025.  

The UTES serves as a “convener” for the campus community, uniting students interested in energy issues with faculty and others working on sustainable energy security. Students who register for the symposium receive one credit hour for the 15-week seminar course, which is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. 

Ongoing themes for UTES include climate change policy, innovation and diffusion of energy technologies, low-carbon technology options and status, and behavioral aspects of energy consumption. 

Each UTES talk will be recorded and posted on this page and on the Energy Institute YouTube channel following the event.