Joseph K. Flowers

After graduating from Vanderbilt with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Joseph earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from M.I.T. He spent six years working for Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, in various areas of car product development, most notably in suspension and brake design and aerodynamics.

In 1996, he accepted a position at Schlumberger. Throughout his 20-year career there, he led the development of many projects including coiled tubing deployment systems (for both trucks and offshore skid units) as well as the first commercial electronic downhole coiled tubing tool for Schlumberger, the DepthLOG, which was the precursor to the successful ACTive system of downhole tools. He commercialized the first line of swellable packers developed in-house and managed teams of engineers sustaining worldwide equipment in pressure pumping systems and developing new sand control equipment solutions. He was awarded 10 patents during his Schlumberger career. In 2016, he earned early retirement from Schlumberger, and has been working in consulting and project management for Applied Automation and Controls, a supplier to the oil and gas industry.

Joseph lives in Houston with his wife Lori, BA’88. They have four children, Noah, 22, Davis, 19, Ella, 15, and James, 13. His family has been a tremendous source of inspiration and support throughout his career, and one of the great benefits of early retirement has been to spend more time with them. He credits Vanderbilt and the School of Engineering with providing him with a unique blend of technical skill and management capability that have made his professional achievements possible. Flowers has professed his gratitude for the school by being a strong philanthropic supporter. He has also enjoyed the opportunity to remain in touch with the school through various advisory committees and, currently, the Board of Visitors.