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OPINION 2
CAMPUS 3

ABE 6
SPORTS I

 

AlChE-IIT Chapter attends student
reSearch conference in San Francisco

Utsav Gandhi
CAMPUS EDITOR

Founded in 1908, the American
Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is
one of the world’s largest and most dynamic
professional societies seeking to engage
students and professionals tackling some
of the let century’s foremost challenges.
With over 40,000 members and 200 student
chapters worldwide, AIChE provides career
guidance and networking opportunities to
learn more about diverse careers in food
processing, pharmaceutical, sustainable energy,
biotechnology and environmental engineering.

IIT has always had a significant
presence in the national AIChE community,
ranging from high level administration to a
very active student chapter which hosts weekly
presentations, alumni panels, field visits, a
thriving mentor~mentee program and social
events fairly regularly on campus. Last weekend

the annual student meeting, held in San
Francisco, saw the largest ever IIT delegation
successfully attend, learn, network and present
research.

Besides the traditional career
guidance seminars from the active Young
Professionals Board and the student research
poster presentation, the conference is also
known for its flagship Chem E car competition,
wherein student groups from around the
country show off their chemically engineered
(fuel cell/lead acid battery, etc) vehicles, coming
in after months of preparation and testing.

The competition is a dynamic
showcase of young’minds exploring the
possibilities of cleaner automobiles — the
younger, non-graduating members of the HT
delegation came back inspired to start a project
of our own right here on campus, even looking
into the possibility of algae-sourced biofuel (if
anyone reading this wishes to contribute to this
cool opportunity, email aiche@iit.edu).

Other highlights at the presentation
included a keynote address from Mr. Aamir
Farid, VP of Manufacturing at Shell, who spoke
about his 32 years at the company, traveling
around the world managing projects in the oil
and gas industry. The conference also provided
an opportunity to have one-on-one career
guidance sessions with Alaina Levine, a prolific
speaker, writer, consultant and teacher known
around the country for her career counseling.

The research poster competition saw
several students from IIT participate, presenting
on projects as diverse as water quality testing,
bioenergy from algae sources, and optimal
power flow.

Finally, a unique opportunity for
some of the emerging leaders of the organization
was to participate in the student leadership
development seminar, which provided
networking opportunities with other leaders
from across the country and allowed them to
work together to come up with strategies to

engage more students in the organization.

The conference also provided a
unique opportunity for the chapter to bond
and spend time with the faculty advisor as well
as a group itself. The group was a diverse mix
of class levels, interests, project experiences
and personalities; and the city of San Francisco
provided a perfect setting for the team to explore
and unwind in the midst of a busy semester. .

The team took some time to explore
some of the famous sights of the city as well as
some diverse restaurants and neighborhoods
in the city, aside from its fabled cobbled streets
and scenic waterfront. Saturday night also
provided an opportunity to take part in oflicial
Halloween festivities arranged by the conference
coordinators, wherein the HT delegation
decided to show up as “elements”.

The chapter hopes to capitalize on
the relationships developed at the conference
to take itself to newer levels of growth and
development.

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