IT TAKES
ENERGYTO TRADE ENERGY
By Todd Fuqua
Marissa Muge Tian (BBA 06), finds her work falls outside of normal business hours as a trader for JPMorgan in Houston, Texas. Marissa’s expertise is in the field of commodity trading – specifically Natural Gas Liquids, or “NGL.” As a part of the energy sector, the work she does is extremely important to a number of markets, from petro-chemicals to mass media to electronics and so much more. “It can be a demanding job,” Marissa said of her sometimes roundthe-clock schedule. Also, it may be an international concern, when one considers the voracious energy appetite of the U.S and the growing markets in developing countries. “The market never sleeps, something always happens,” Marissa said. “If there’s nothing dramatic, I can find out in the morning, but if it’s something like a tanker grounding, pirates or war, that can impact our market and I need to act on it quickly. It doesn’t matter what time it is here.
“This can be a very stressful job,” she added. “The job is fast-paced and my hours are pretty long.” Not everyone can handle the high stress and fast pace environment of commodity trading, but Marissa credits her education at ENMU for her success. “I’ve learned a lot on the job, of course, but those professors gave me the tools I needed to deal with what I would face,” she said. “Good learning and good accomplishment don’t come easily.” Marissa was at Eastern as part of a student exchange program, which helped her adjust not just to the University, but to the culture and experience of living in this country. “I didn’t know much about the United States at the time, so I learned how to interact with others,” Marissa said. “I’m also very grateful to my sorority, Chi Omega. They helped me embrace the culture.”
By Todd Fuqua Race day begins very early for Kevin Sublette (BS 84) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Typically, he’s up by 3:30 in the morning, double-checking countless details his company – IMS Productions – has in place for the broadcast of the single largest sporting event in the world, the Indianapolis 500. The big race tops the list of numerous events IMS Productions is involved with throughout the year, including all Indy races, commercials and the Professional Bullriders Global Cup. NBC may broadcast the Indy 500, but it’s Kevin’s job as IMS Productions president to make sure all cameras, equipment and people are in place for things to roll smoothly. “IMS Productions provides all the broadcast facilities to support the Indy 500 to include working with vendors for onboard cameras, helicopters for aerials, 250-plus production crewmembers and yes, even
at KENW-TV, working as the master control operator. He was also in the ROTC Program and later served as a logistical operations officer during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in 1991. He says those experiences went a long way to preparing him for his current position. Kevin said his time at ENMU was wonderful but he has some advice for the recent graduate that wants to make a career
Porta Potties,” Sublette said.
in mass media. “KENW is a great base. Every student gets a chance
“We provide a nice package
to work on the equipment. But in the real world, you have to have
for NBC to come in and
the drive to get what you want,” he said.
produce a broadcast.” Kevin got his start in broadcasting as a student
“I’ve worked in nine different states in my career. You have to be willing to move and be aggressive to get the experience where you can find it.”
Green & Silver | May 2020
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