Brandon Palomino graduated from the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and has strived to continue learning every day since. His impressive 17-year career has spanned nuclear design, oil and gas systems, energy transition, and financial risk management.
He is currently energy transition and senior engineering lead for Audubon Companies in Houston, Texas, and will soon earn his Executive MBA from Yale University’s School of Management.
Palomino was an active student at the University of South Carolina, serving as a research engineer assistant focusing on micro-electronic mechanical systems and nanoscale devices and materials. He also published his research and presented at several major conferences. Palomino served in other leadership roles, including president of the Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honor Fraternity and secretary of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers student chapter. He was also active in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.
Palomino credits these activities with helping him balance theory with practicality and offering opportunities to connect with likeminded problem-solvers.
“The engineering professors at Carolina do a good job of balancing practical course work and theory,” Palomino says. “You need that proper balance in industry to come up with practical solutions to hard engineering problems, so that you aren’t engineering a $1 million solution to a $1,000 problem. That lesson has helped me in power and utility companies, nuclear design, and oil and gas firms.”
After graduating, Palomino interviewed and was offered a position as a nuclear design engineer for The Shaw Group at Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina. The Shaw Group was building a new mixed oxide fuel fabrication (MOX) facility with exclusive rights to build all the Westinghouse AP1000 reactors within the U.S., the first nuclear construction in nearly 30 years. The AP1000 reactors are known for their simplified safety systems and modular construction, and Palomino was excited to be part of those teams.
“At the time, the MOX project was the tip of the iceberg in nuclear construction for the United States, and we had world-class engineering professionals coming from all over the country,” Palomino says. “But after about three-and-half years I was ready for the next challenge.”
Palomino’s next role was working on a commercial nuclear reactor for Progress Energy in Crystal River, Florida. In 2013, the company merged with Duke Energy and entered the reactor into SAFSTOR, a long-term storage solution for permanently shutting down a nuclear power plant. He took a break from nuclear energy and joined oil and gas company Ventech Engineers in Houston, designing modular refineries for clients around the world. In 2016, Palomino returned to the nuclear arena at SCANA Energy’s VC Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, South Carolina, until that project was halted in 2017.
At that time, Palomino’s career came full circle when he returned to Houston to join Audubon Companies in his current role. He develops sustainability and financial project frameworks for a variety of energy capital investment projects, helping clients minimize and balance risk across their carbon output, net-zero commitments, and energy investment portfolio projects.
“If you must implement carbon capture for your investors and reach certain financial targets for shareholders, how are you going to get there responsibly? We engineer proposals that help energy clients balance the financial risk landscape to decarbonize, making them sustainable and profitable in the long run, without too much financial or reputational burdens in the short run,” Palomino says. “You can’t decarbonize too fast, but you have to work towards it along the way while engaging all key stakeholders.”
In his quest to never stop learning, Palomino began applying to MBA programs in 2023. He describes his application to Yale as entering a lofty lottery, but when he progressed to the interview round and first stepped on campus, it became the dream.
“When I walked on campus and saw the types of people and companies attending Yale’s lectures and events, I knew it was the happening place – truly the center of business and society,” Palomino says. “After realizing the many great and powerful people to walk through doors of Yale, it became the dream school for me.”
Palomino will graduate this May, and while considering his next steps, he will continue to position himself as a strategic leader and energy innovator to ultimately make a positive difference in society and business.
“Brandon has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to driving innovation in his field,” says Yale classmate Vicky Kuang. “He is not only knowledgeable but also highly supportive of his Yale cohort. His open-minded approach fosters collaboration and continuous learning, making him an inspirational figure among his peers. Brandon’s ability to engage with diverse perspectives and his eagerness to explore new ideas set him apart as a leader in both the academic and professional realms.”
“I have a passion for all things nuclear and all things energy with regard to alleviating energy poverty,” Palomino says. “It’s hard to say where I’ll be a year from now, but hopefully it will be somewhere impactful and at scale. There’s so much happening in the world of energy in this new industrial revolution, and I’m ready to lead firms and organizations toward a brighter, more abundant future.”