CHEE Undergrads Make Triumphant Return to National AIChE Conference
Members of the University of Arizona chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, led by president and chemical engineering senior Dylan Koch, were determined to break a nine-year lull and send undergraduates to the national organization’s annual conference.
Securing funds from ExxonMobil and the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Koch and 14 other juniors and seniors traveled to Orlando, Florida, in November to attend the gathering. They were joined by three faculty members – assistant professors Andrea Achilli and Suchol Savagatrup, and professor Kim Ogden, AIChE’s 2019 president.
“It took a lot of work to get everything arranged, but it was totally worth it because everyone returned with new ideas to invigorate our club,” said Koch.
CHEE junior Emily Cosgriff said attending the conference was the best professional development opportunity she has ever experienced.
“It motivated me personally and professionally, and I’m clear now that I want to get a job in industry after graduation rather than go to straight to graduate school,” said Cosgriff.
The chapter’s long-term goal is to make the conference trip an annual activity so undergraduates will benefit far into the future.
Benefits Abound for Faculty and Students
Suchol Savagatrup last attended the conference as a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He appreciated reconnecting with friends and mentors, finding out what problems his colleagues are addressing, sharing his research vision, and exploring possible collaborations and funding sources.
“For students, there are invaluable opportunities to interact with recruitment officers, graduate program officers, professors and, most importantly, peers,” said Savagatrup.
Among the other benefits for undergraduate conference-goers were attending presentations on the latest research in the field, stockpiling resume tips and refining interviewing skills.
“It was awesome talking with different chemical engineers about their career paths – why they stayed with a certain company or made a change for the better,” said CHEE junior Alex Gomez.
Reinvigorating the Chem-E-Car Club
After seeing prototypes from other student groups, CHEE students were inspired to re-activate the department’s Chem-E-Car club, in which competitors design and construct a car powered by a chemical source such as biodiesel to safely carry a specified load over a given distance.
For Koch, the Chem-E-Car competition is cool because you see something of substance come to fruition.
“Chemical engineers deal with a lot of modeling and estimation, so when you have the opportunity to actually build something that will not cost a billion dollars, it is refreshing to see,” he said.
CHEE students have expressed interest in the opportunity to create an interdisciplinary team, practice computer programming and 3D modeling, and compete in the AIChE Chem-E-Car competition at the conference in future years.
Future Planning
Anthony Muscat, professor and department chair, would also like to see undergraduates attend the conference annually, and he is working with club members to explore options.
“Hearing how much students gained from the experience, I understand the importance of helping them connect with chemical engineers throughout the country and the world as they plan their future paths,” said Muscat.