Maritime Transportation & Engineering

Professor Vanicha McQueen Talks Career, Next Generation Of Engineers

Vanicha McQueen, right, teaching students during summer sea term

Vanicha McQueen brings a broad practical knowledge of marine engineering, with experience in everything from design to manufacturing to operations, to the Department of Marine Engineering Technology. McQueen, an associate professor of the practice and assistant department head, is committed to teaching the next generation to be better engineers than they were the day before, with a teaching philosophy deeply interwoven with the professional experiences that led her to this point in her career.

McQueen’s entry into the maritime industry began with her acceptance to the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, across the country from where she grew up in San Diego. After completing her bachelor’s degree in marine engineering in 1988, McQueen initially wanted to stay ashore, choosing to start as an assistant nuclear test engineer. But after six months, she felt the call of the sea and longed for the challenge of shipboard operations.

Her first sailing positions allowed her to travel the globe while gaining career experience until she eventually sailed with Chevron for a decade. When she and her husband were ready to start a family, McQueen went shoreside. During that time, she taught high school shop, drafting, physics and chemistry; designed floating production storage and offloading units, or FPSOs, with SBM Atlantia; and worked at APM Terminals, a subsidiary of AP Moller-Maersk.

McQueen also earned her project management professional certification and led the APM team in converting standard diesel-operated cranes to eco-friendly hybrids. These hybrids reduced air and noise pollution as part of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality commitment to pollution reduction.

As McQueen’s children grew, she decided to get back out on the water with the Texas Department of Transportation on the Galveston-Bolivar ferries, allowing her to come home each night to see her kids. McQueen spent ten years as chief engineer on the ferries, a role she remembers fondly, saying that the team felt like a family. McQueen spent five more years as chief engineer with G&H Towing before returning to education.

In 2018, McQueen brought her extensive industry experience to Texas A&M University at Galveston, using her unique experiences and knowledge to teach and train future maritime professionals through real-world issues and solutions. McQueen is education-focused, and takes the time to explain technical concepts in ways that even non-engineers can easily understand. She has a passion for working with students and firmly believes that a maritime education can lead to a world of opportunities, as exemplified in her own career.

“I have enjoyed teaching from my experience, not only the technical textbook experience but from what I’ve seen in the industry,” McQueen said. She takes pride in her students’ growth and achievements, finding fulfillment in their successes and encouraging them to persevere.

McQueen is keenly aware of the industry’s shift toward automation and the increasing need for specialized professionals and is committed to preparing her students for these roles. She is actively involved in developing new curricula and courses for the marine engineering technology department and champions the meaningful integration of emerging technologies into the classroom. McQueen has taught several of these new classes herself and enjoys the challenge of teaching a class for the very first time, which she says emphasizes the need for lifelong learning and adaptability.

The growth of the maritime engineering technology degree excites McQueen, who is thrilled that the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies on the Galveston Campus and its faculty have built a degree program that can respond to changes in the industry, particularly as it moves towards environmental sustainability.

 “Our degree has such potential to keep growing and enhancing its programs with research, academic minors and concentrations,” McQueen said. “I have incredibly impressive colleagues with great expertise and I’m so pleased to be part of the evolution of our program.”

McQueen continued, “And I am so happy to be a member of the Aggie Family, although I’m still working hard on my thumb and my ‘Whoop!’,” as she displayed an enthusiastic Gig ’em.

Watch Vanicha McQueen’s Faculty Spotlight on YouTube.