TITANIC: The Truth Behind the Myths

The University Club Foundation, Society of Architectural Historians, Turpin Bannister Chapter, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) - Schenectady Section and the USS SLATER / Destroyer Escort Historical Museum will host an evening with engineer and historian Phil Barker. He will give an illustrated presentation titled TITANIC: The Truth Behind the Myths. Light fare and cash bar at 5:30, program at 6:00 p.m.

Barker has long been a student of the ill-fated RMS Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City in 1912. He will discuss the vessel and the tragedy in ways that will appeal to people from a variety of backgrounds and provide historic context for the tragedy. He’ll share rare photographs of the opulent interiors for architectural historians, provide technical details of the ship’s design relevant to engineers, and discuss health and safety regulations from the annals of maritime law. He’ll even discuss elements of the Academy Award-winning 1997 film Titanic, written and directed by James Cameron.

With 30 years of experience in the electric power industry, Barker received his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Electrical Engineering from Clarkson University with a concentration in electric power systems. He was a consulting engineer at Power Technologies, Incorporated (PTI) for 14 years. Later he worked for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI PEAC Division) where he focused on advanced research related to distributed generation, power quality, and distribution reliability.

In 2003, he founded Nova Energy Specialists (NES), a consulting company that provides engineering services to the utility sector in the areas of power systems, distributed generation, and emerging technologies. Throughout his caree, he has been involved in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and has published over 30 papers and/or technical articles. Barker received the IEEE PES Excellence in Power Distribution Engineering Award in 2010.

The program is free but reservations are appreciated and may be made by calling the Club at 518-463-1151; by sending an email to mfahy@universityclubalbany.com; or on the Club’s website at www.universityclubalbany.com.

The University Club of Albany Foundation is a 501c3 corporation formed in 2009 to recognize and maintain the unique historic and architectural significance of the National Register-listed University Club building, its historic neighborhood and the city of Albany, where it has been located since its inception in 1901. Support for educational programming at the University Club is provided by AT&T.

For more information about the University Club, visit www.universityclubalbany.com.