2016 ISA Process Control & Safety Symposium and Exhibition features three acclaimed keynote speakers and an extensive technical program

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 28, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The best and brightest minds in process industries—including three distinguished keynote speakers—will come together at the 2016 ISA Process Control & Safety Symposium and Exhibition, 7-10 November in Houston, Texas, USA.

Attending engineers, technicians and plant managers will be able to gain the latest insights, news and trends in process measurement and control—particularly in the chemical and energy processing and other key process industry sectors. Particular attention will be placed on the critical issues in instrumentation, communications, control systems, safety and security.

Three outstanding keynote presentations
Three notable automation and control industry professionals will deliver keynote addresses. A keynote presentation will be delivered on each day of the conference: Tuesday 8 November, Wednesday 9 November and Thursday 10 November.

Tuesday 8 November
"Process Safety: Are we getting any better? Recollections on four decades of experience and more"
Keynote Presenter: Paul Gruhn

Paul Gruhn, Global Functional Safety Consultant at aeSolutions, is a highly acclaimed and awarded safety expert in the automation and control field, with more than four decades of experience. He is an ISA Fellow, the co-chair of the ISA 84 standard committee (on safety instrumented systems), and a developer and instructor of ISA courses on safety systems.

An accomplished author, he has written two ISA textbooks (Safety Instrumented Systems: Design, Analysis & Justification and Sell More through Effective Technical Presentations), other book chapters and more than two dozen published articles.

Gruhn developed the first commercial safety system modeling software. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Texas, a member of Control System Engineer (CSE) exam team, a certified functional safety expert (CFSE) and an ISA84 expert. He received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology.

Wednesday 9 November
"Inspiring and Recruiting Engineers into the 21st Century"
Keynote Presenter: Bonnie J. Dunbar

Bonnie J. Dunbar, Ph.D., is a retired NASA astronaut, engineer, and educator. She currently is a Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Distinguished Research Professor in the university's Department of Aerospace Engineering, and has a joint appointment as the director of the TEES Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation (IEEI).

A member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering, Dr. Dunbar comes to Texas A&M from the University of Houston where she provided leadership in the development of a new integrated university science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) center. At the University of Houston, she served as an M.D. Anderson Professor of Mechanical Engineering and directed the SICSA Space Architecture graduate program.

Prior to that, Dr. Dunbar worked for The Rockwell International Space Division Company building Space Shuttle Columbia and worked for 27 years at NASA. She holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degrees in ceramic engineering from the University of Washington and a doctorate degree in mechanical/biomedical engineering from the University of Houston.

Thursday 10 November
"Safe and Secure? The State of Industrial Cybersecurity"
Keynote Presenter: Steve Mustard

Steve Mustard is an ISA Certified Automation Professional® (CAP®), UK registered Chartered Engineer, and European registered Eur Ing and consultant with extensive development and management experience in business process automation across multiple sectors.

A widely recognized expert in industrial cybersecurity and an ISA99 Security Standards Committee member, Mustard played an essential role in the development of the world's only consensus-based series of industrial cybersecurity standards—ISA/IEC 62443. He also actively participates in
cybersecurity working groups formed by the Automation Federation, ISA's umbrella organization.

Mustard's previous and current client list includes: the UK Ministry of Defence; NATO; major utilities, such as Anglian Water Services and Sydney Water Corporation; major oil and gas companies, such as BG Group and Aera Energy; Quintiles Laboratories; and other leading organizations.

A world-class technical program and vendor exhibition
In addition to the keynote presentations, the symposium offers an expert-led technical program that will cover the critical issues in instrumentation, safety, security, communications and control systems. Among the wide-ranging topics to be covered include:

Instrumentation
 Variability, Instrument Calibration
 Automation and Control Systems
 Flow Measurement Technology
 Field Calibration Technology
Communications
 Communications in SIL, ISA100
 Wireless Technology in the Plant Floor
 Field Instrumentations: Wireless, Foundation Fieldbus, and Other Smart Technologies
 Bridging Prices Between SCADA and DCS
Control Systems
 Process Optimization
 Fieldbus Control Systems with Focus on Higher SIL
 Control System Strategies, Advanced Control
 Instrumentation for Floating LNG Facilities
 Automation and Control in Petroleum and Petrochemical Terminals
 System Integrations
 Advanced HMI and Alarm Management
 Data and Document Storage in EDMS and Asset Management
 Troubleshooting, Optimization, and Application in Petroleum and Chemical Process Industries
 Safety Instrumented Systems
 Cybersecurity
An exhibit showcase will feature the latest product and service information at engaging vendor and supplier exhibits. Daily luncheons and nightly receptions allow for ample networking and socializing.

An excellent opportunity to obtain ISA technical training
Attendees may add value to their event experience by taking an on-site ISA training short course. The following three courses will be conducted on Monday, 7 November—prior to the commencement of the technical program:
 Electrical Controls for the Control Systems Technician (TI23C)
 Introduction to Industrial Automation Security and the ISA/IEC 62443 Standards (IC32C)
 An Introduction to Safety Instrumented Systems (EC50C)
Register for this professionally rewarding event today
To register, and gain more information on the 2016 Process Control and Safety Symposium and Exhibition, please visit www.isa.org/PCS2016. For assistance and answers to any questions, contact ISA at +1 919-549-8411 or info@isa.org.

About ISA
The International Society of Automation (www.isa.org) is a nonprofit professional association that sets the standard for those who apply engineering and technology to improve the management, safety, and cybersecurity of modern automation and control systems used across industry and critical infrastructure. Founded in 1945, ISA develops widely used global standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; hosts conferences and exhibits; and provides networking and career development programs for its 36,000 members and 350,000 customers around the world.

ISA owns Automation.com, a leading online publisher of automation-related content, and is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org), an association of non-profit organizations serving as "The Voice of Automation." Through a wholly owned subsidiary, ISA bridges the gap between standards and their implementation with the ISA Security Compliance Institute (www.isasecure.org) and the ISA Wireless Compliance Institute (www.isa100wci.org).