Dr. Bill Sembler, P.E., Ph.D.

Dr. William J. Sembler is a former Principal Engineer (2019 to 2021) and Vice President of Engineering (2014 to 2019) at Coffin Turbo Pump, Inc., a company that specializes in designing, manufacturing, testing, and servicing boiler feed pumps. While serving as VP of Engineering, he was responsible for all of the company’s engineering functions, including boiler operation and testing. In addition, Dr. Sembler brought computerized design techniques to Coffin, including the use of computational fluid dynamics. He joined Coffin in 2014 after retiring as Head of the Department of Engineering at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), where he had been a faculty member for 22 years developing and teaching various courses in marine and mechanical engineering. In addition, Dr. Sembler sailed as an Engineering Officer during training cruises aboard SUNY Maritime College’s T.S. Empire State from 1993 to 2000, and from 2002 to 2006, he served as Chief Engineer on the USMMA training vessel, the T/V Kings Pointer. From 2000 until 2012, he was also an ABET Program Evaluator for accredited college and university programs in marine engineering and naval architecture. Prior to being appointed to the faculty at the USMMA, Dr. Sembler had over 15 years of pump-company experience with Worthington Pump Corp. in various marine sales and engineering positions, including Manager of the Marine and Navy Engineering Department. In this latter position, he was responsible for the satisfactory design of all Worthington pumps supplied from the USA for commercial marine and naval vessels.

Dr. Sembler has a B.S. from the USMMA in Marine Engineering and Nautical Science, as well as both a Master of Engineering and the Degree of Mechanical Engineer from Stevens Institute of Technology. In addition, he has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of NYU. Dr. Sembler is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the states of NY and NJ and has held USCG licenses as Chief Engineer of Steam, Motor, or Gas Turbine Vessels of any Horsepower and Third Mate of Steam or Motor Vessels of any Gross Tons upon Oceans, and he is a licensed stationary engineer (boiler operator) in the state of NJ.

Dr. Sembler is a member of the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE). He is also a Life Fellow in the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and is a past Chairman of SNAME’s New York Metropolitan Section (2000 – 2001), as well as a past Northeast Regional Vice President (2002 – 2004). He also served as the Faculty Advisor to the USMMA SNAME Student Section from 1995 to 2005. Dr. Sembler received SNAME’s Distinguished Service Award in 2000, and he received the Rear Admiral Lauren S. McCready Award for Outstanding Achievement in Marine Engineering from the USMMA Alumni Foundation in 2003 and the Maritime Service Superior Performance Medal in 2014. He was also awarded with the honorary title of Professor Emeritus after retiring from the USMMA. Dr. Sembler is a published author of technical papers and textbook chapters on marine pump design and operation, including the chapter on pumps, compressors, blowers, and ejectors in the upcoming 4th edition of SNAME’s Marine Engineering, and on the analysis and use of fuel cells in marine applications.

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