Meet Chris Hill—Featured Student for April 2016

Where are you from?

Dublin, OH

What school do you go to? What year are you?

Junior, Miami University

Do you hold any positions in your AIChE chapter or with AIChE nationally?

Regional conference chair

Describe an event in your chapter that you are most proud to have been involved with.

Last year I was elected regional conference chair for the AIChE student chapter at Miami University. The goal was to help plan and organize the North Central Regional Conference being hosted at Miami in 2016. We are a small chapter so I knew that this would be a challenge, but I believed that with enough planning we could put on a great conference. Outside of our chapter we had amazing support from other chapters in the region, the faculty at Miami University, and numerous other engineering students at Miami that helped make the event a success.

What are your plans after graduation? In what field are you most interested in having an impact?

After I graduate I am interested in working in the energy or environmental fields. I also want to continue to do work with organizations like Engineers Without Borders to make an impact on the global community and help improve people's lives.

What is it about chemical engineering that you’re most passionate about?

Engineering is about finding innovative solutions to problems. Chemical engineering opens doors for so many industries and gives students and professional an amazing range of skills to help solve these problems. I love the variety of projects and industries that chemical engineering provides.

How do you think your experience within your AIChE Student Chapter will impact your career and professional goals?

AIChE has helped me to see my own potential and has inspired me to be more than I ever thought was possible. As students, it is easy to see your own world as the whole world. However, being a part of AIChE can expand your horizons and help you see problems in an entirely different light. I truly believe that being a part of AIChE can make any chemical engineer, student or professional, a more well-rounded individual who sees the profession as a chance to make a difference. 

What are you studying that you think could change the world someday?

I am learning about water purification, biogas systems, and public health projects through mentors and students in Engineers Without Borders. I hope to combine the skills and knowledge from my chemical engineering degree with these experiences to make a global impact.

How do you think your experience within your AIChE Student Chapter will impact your career and professional goals?

The connections and leadership skills I am learning in AIChE will definitely have an impact on my professional life. Getting the chance to connect with guest speakers, meet other students at conferences, and lead large projects like the regional conference have given me tools and connections to help me succeed in my career.


How do you blow off steam and keep your sanity between classes, homework, and projects?

Staying active! I love to play ultimate frisbee or soccer in my free time. I also try to climb a few days a week, and when I have the time I love to go skiing, camping, or hiking.

Which of your undergraduate classes have you most enjoyed?

Heat Transfer. I had a great professor and I really enjoyed the material. That was one of the first classes I took where I felt like I was doing "real" engineering.

How did you decide to pursue a degree in ChE?

In high school math and science were always my best subjects. My favorite class was chemistry, and when I started looking at career options chemical engineering stuck out to me. The more I learned about career opportunities and the learning experiences it provided the more I was sold on chemical engineering!

What are you most looking forward to after graduation?

I am most looking forward to the freedom and opportunities. I am definitely a little nervous, but after graduation I will get the chance to choose my own path. I can meet new people, do work that I care about, and live where I want to live. I know there will be a lot of challenges along the way, but it is exciting to think about all the possibilities!

What will you be most saddened to leave behind at school when you move on?

Friends. The people I have met at Miami are amazing, and even though I know I will stay in touch with a lot of them it won't be the same without seeing them every day.

Do you have any advice to incoming students and underclassmen ChEs around the world?

My advice to younger students is to get involved in something outside of classes. It doesn't have to be a professional organization either. A lot of the friends I made, the people I met, and the experiences I had came from joining student organizations on campus.

If your initials (first/last or first/middle/last) stood for something other than your name, what would it be?

That's a tough one. My first initial combined with my last name spells chill, so that's kind of fun I guess.

How would you like to be involved with AIChE after graduation?

After graduation I would be interested in joining a local section in my area. The connections and learning experiences that AIChE provides for students are great. I would love to be able to work with student chapters in the future to help them get these same opportunities.

You can reach Chris through his LinkedIn account.