Dr. Jinrong “Patrick” Zhang’s expertise is phosphate beneficiation and mining. His role involves identifying research and development needs and creating programs to address them.
Zhang was trained in metallurgical engineering and earned his B.S. in Metallurgy from Northeastern University (China); M.S. in Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE), Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Ph.D. at University of Nevada, Reno.
Prior to joining the research institute, Zhang worked as a research engineer for KCA, establishing the company’s capabilities in mineral flotation, high-temperature metallurgy and mineral bio-processing.
As a research assistant at the Mackay School of Mines in Nevada, he explored difficult-to-process gold ore and the photo-chemical destruction of contaminants. He also conducted a study at the University of Utah on the degradation of cyanide in pure minerals and soils.
His work experiences are mostly related to phosphate processing, including two years as an assistant research professor with IPE working on phosphorus production using blast furnace, and 20 years as a research director with the FIPR Institute.
This session will demonstrate that practical risk management is for everyone, regardless of a formal program. Attendees will learn actionable and simple strategies that are easy to implement, enabling them to start immediately by focusing on their top risks to build greater operational resilience and ensure the sustained success of their auxiliary enterprises.
Michelle Powell serves as the pioneering Risk Manager at Florida Polytechnic University, the state’s sole 100% STEM-dedicated institution. Having been with the university for nearly 11 years, Michelle transitioned from a leadership role in Admissions in October 2023 to establish and evolve the risk management function from the ground up. In this solo capacity, Michelle builds robust frameworks for our dynamic, young university, overseeing our insurance portfolio, consulting on third-party and event risks, and developing critical campus-wide training programs. Michelle has obtained the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management certificate and the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. Her distinct background in mathematics and engineering, combined with extensive higher education leadership, brings an analytical and strategic approach enhancing the institution’s resilience.
