By Kiana Wilburg
Even with the most strategic plans for a purposeful life, there is no guarantee that our ultimate desires would be fulfilled. Still, mankind is hardwired to hope and dream; to have faith that the estuaries of life, will take him to his rightful destination. It is this faith that led two-time Guyana Scholar, Joel Gravesande to his calling.
Initially, his desire was to lead a career in medicine. But life took him in a completely unknown direction—Chemical Engineering. With spiritual guidance and the support of his family, Gravesande emerged as one of the nation’s leading professionals in this field.
Today, he devotes his energies and talents to ensuring Guyana is a regional leader in environmental and oil and gas management.
Gravesande’s academic success at just 34 years of age and the degree of responsibilities he is entrusted with as Head of the Oil and Gas Department at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are a testament to his mastery of self-discipline.
This very characteristic was evident since his days at Providence Primary School on the East Bank of Demerara. Upon sitting the National Grade Six Assessment, young Gravesande was awarded a place at Central High School. His acute sense of dedication to hard work saw him being transferred to St. Stanislaus College to finish secondary studies. One could say that this was the beginning of his climb to the academic distinction which he had hopes of deepening in the field of medicine. But as noted earlier, faith had other plans for him. Instead of fighting it, Gravesande embraced the unknown.
“In 2008, when I applied for my first scholarship, I applied to do medicine. However, I was offered Chemical Engineering instead and this was the very first time that I heard of this career,” he explained.
Being from humble beginnings, Gravesande said he jumped at the opportunity for free education. But a deeper message had resonated with him. At that time, Gravesande was convinced that he was being steered in that direction for a reason; one much greater than his comprehension back then. It is safe to assume that he embraced the teachings of Proverbs 16: 9 which states that a person may plan his own journey, but it is the Lord who directs his steps.
In 2008, Gravesande accepted his full academic scholarship from the Government of Guyana to pursue a Bachelor’s of Engineering Degree in Chemical Engineering, in Cuba and subsequently graduated from “Universidad de Oriente” (University of the East) in Santiago de Cuba.
Confident in his abilities, the Guyana Government awarded him a second full academic scholarship in 2017 to pursue a Master’s of Engineering Degree in Chemical Engineering, this time in China. He later graduated from Tianjin University, located in Tianjin, China.
Whilst doing his Master’s, Gravesande also coauthored two scientific research articles in the field of biomedical nanomaterials. That research focused on the synthesis of polymeric nanogels as a form of drug delivery. Both articles were published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
As a Chemical Engineer or Process Systems Engineer, Gravesande focuses on the design, operation, and optimization of industrial processes. Given that Chemical Engineers are very versatile, Gravesande posited that professionals like him are often at the forefront of advances in biomedicine, electronics, food production, energy, material science, environment, oil and gas, etc.
With the explosion of oil-related activities in Guyana, Gravesande’s discipline is one of many that will be needed to ensure the modernization of key monitoring systems. He is expected to be an even greater national asset given his plans to pursue a PhD. with specialization in Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS).
As Head of the EPA’s Oil and Gas Department since 2019, he is entrusted with a number of major responsibilities. Gravesande explained that the Oil & Gas Department is divided into the Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream Section permits and monitors all petroleum exploration ( which includes seismic surveys, geophysical and geotechnical surveys, drilling, etc.), and petroleum production activities. The Downstream Section permits and monitors the operations of all gas stations, fuel storage facilities, fuel bunkering and any other similar activity.
The department he explained has a robust training regimen that he oversees. Apart from on-the-job training, he also ensures formal training is provided for the review of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), oil spill response, rig inspection, offshore production facilities; etc. Added to this, each member of his department is also part of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, which provides access to industry experts and critical networking opportunities.
Being in charge of a department that overlooks Guyana’s most technical and fastest-growing sector, with a very steep learning curve, Gravesande exudes not only a deep sense of pride but a knack for critical thinking.
“I consider my abilities to think outside of the box, solve problems that you may not know even existed, and push the boundaries of normalcy, as my biggest strengths,” said Gravesande.
These qualities he acknowledged are inextricably linked to his mission to create a legacy of meaningful work which, given his current trajectory, could see him going higher up the ladder at the EPA and beyond.
This legacy, undoubtedly still in its infancy, is one he believes will be achieved, so long as he stays true to his trusted recipe for success— God, family, and hard work.
A proud product of a Christian home, Gravesande stands by this formula, while making sure to emphasize that he is first a servant of the Almighty. Fortified by his favour, Gravesande believes he is able to excel at work while being a loving husband and father of two wonderful boys.
One might conclude that his life’s work thus far is an exaltation or fitting tribute to his name Joel, which is Hebrew for, “Lord is God.”
