Growing up in Egypt, Medhat M. Kamal had a natural curiosity for finding out how things work. Taking apart his toys and putting them back together again as a child led him to Cairo University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. He then moved to the United States, earning his MS and PhD from Stanford University. Since then, Kamal has held significant positions at Amoco Production Company, Flopetrol Schlumberger, and ARCO Exploration and Production Company before working for most of his career with Chevron, specializing in well testing, reservoir characterization, and reservoir engineering. Additionally, Kamal is a principal member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), where he has served as executive editor for the Journal of Petroleum Technology and the SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering Journal. He helped form the SPE Stanford Golden Gate student chapter and has served on the boards of directors of the Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast, and Dallas and Golden Gate sections of SPE, as well as being an SPE Distinguished Lecturer, Honorary Member, and the 2023 SPE president. His theme as president, Petroleum++, brought attention to the need for more eco-friendly energy sources and the benefits of industry transition and adaptation. Above all, Kamal thinks that energy is the backbone of society; it is needed to maintain modern life and raise the standard of living everywhere. In other words, it is not going anywhere any time soon.