Chemical Engineers from Around the World Meet in Pittsburgh | AIChE

Chemical Engineers from Around the World Meet in Pittsburgh

October 29, 2012


CHEMICAL ENGINEERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD MEET IN PITTSBURGH TO DISCUSS CLEANER ENERGY, STRONGER ECONOMY AND BETTER LIVING

Conference features third International Congress on Energy and sessions on Marcellus Shale natural gas

PITTSBURGH – The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the leading professional organization for chemical engineers, today is beginning its Annual Meeting at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. Presentations will cover all aspects of chemical engineering, from sustainable water supplies to pharmaceuticals and bioengineering. More than 5,000 chemical engineers and chemical engineering students from around the world are expected at the weeklong conference.

The conference features several plenary lectures, 16 topical conferences, approximately 800 technical sessions and other special events focused on a range of issues from water sustainability, renewable energy, nanotechnology and biotechnology. Sessions on hydraulic fracturing, natural gas and shale gas will be featured, including a joint AIChE/Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) workshop on shale oil and gas energy and production. Pittsburgh is a business hub for the Marcellus Shale region. 

Among the early sessions is the 2012 Annual Meeting Plenary, which features a lineup of energy experts including Charles McConnell, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy at the US Department of Energy; David Porges, President & CEO of EQT Corporation; Greg Babe, President & CEO of Bayer Corporation; and Aris Candris, former President & CEO of Westinghouse Electric.

Most conference events will occur at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

AIChE is kicking off its new “Sustainable Meeting” initiative this year, reducing the event’s environmental impact by decreasing waste generated and resources consumed. The Institute has developed a number of benchmarks to monitor the meeting’s environmental, economic and social impacts.

This year’s program includes the third International Congress on Energy, the second Annual World Congress on Sustainable Engineering and the Annual Meeting of the American Electrophoresis Society.

The International Congress on Energy features more than 100 sessions related to technology, markets, business strategies and policy covering the solar, nuclear, lignocelluosics, biorefineries, hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and green innovation energy sectors.

The Annual World Congress on Sustainable Engineering provides a deep look at sustainable materials, the lifecycle of chemicals, bio-refineries and sustainable fuels.

AIChE is also sponsoring  joint sessions with IChemE (the UK-based chemical engineering organization) and the Korean Society of Chemical Engineers, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

AIChE will update its social media channels throughout the meeting. News, photos, videos, special events and keynote speeches will be available at www.chenected.com/annual. Facebook (www.facebook.com/chenected) and Twitter feeds (@chenected) will be updated regularly. The official hashtag for the meeting is #AIChEAnnual.

LECTURES BY CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LEADERS

On Monday, Guy B. Marin, professor of chemical reaction engineering and director of the Laboratory for Chemical Technology at Ghent University in Belgium, will deliver the 2012 Danckwerts Memorial Lecture.

Later on Monday, James Swartz, professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering at Stanford University , will deliver the D.I.C. Wang Award Lecture, with the topic, “From Cancer to Hydrogen: Cell-free Biomolecular and Bioprocess Engineering.”

Each year, AIChE invites a chemical engineer who has made fast-paced progress in the profession to deliver a featured lecture. Christopher N. Bowman, Patten Professor and Department Chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado will deliver this year’s address, which will focus on advances in polymers, on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis, Department of Chemical Engineering & Delaware Biotechnology Institute of University of Delaware, will receive the James E. Bailey Award, sponsored by the Society for Biological Engineering. The award is presented to an individual who has had an important impact on bioengineering.

Each year, AIChE invites a distinguished chemical engineer to present a comprehensive review of his or her specialty. This year’s Institute Lecturer is Frank S. Bates, Regents Professor and Department Head, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota. This lecture, on Wednesday, will highlight several commercially successful examples of creating new materials and products presented by this emerging class of polymers.

Corning, Inc. will receive the 5th AIChE Corporate Innovation Award on Thursday. Marc Giroux, Senior Vice President & Chief Engineer of Manufacturing Technology & Engineering at Corning will discuss Corning’s 160-year history of innovation.

More information on all of the activities surrounding the AIChE Annual Meeting is available at www.aiche.org/annual.

About AIChE

AIChE is a professional society of nearly 45,000 chemical engineers in 92 countries.  Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. 

Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontier of chemical engineering research in such areas as energy, sustainability, biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org

About AIChE: AIChE is a professional society of more than 40,000 chemical engineers in 92 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontier of chemical engineering research in such areas as nanotechnology, sustainability, hydrogen fuels, biological and environmental engineering, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.