Dr. William Fleckenstein, PE, is the Interim Department Head and BP Adjunct Professor in Petroleum Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and teaches graduate courses in Drilling, Completions and Workovers, with special emphasis on shale and other unconventional reservoirs. Dr. Fleckenstein is the Director of PERFORM, dedicated to developing new technologies, and is the Chief Technology officer of FracOptimal LLC, a startup commercializing his patented multi-fracturing technology developed at the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Fleckenstein is the co-PI on a five year NSF study of the Sustainability of Natural Gas Production. This portion of the study examines the drilling and completion risks and issues at various stages of the development and production cycle. Dr. Fleckenstein has 26 years experience in multiple basins worldwide from shale reservoirs in California, to deep water in the Eastern Mediterranean. Dr. Fleckenstein also serves as the Chairman of the Board at the Credit Union of Colorado.