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Public Affairs & Information Committee (PAIC)

Serves society, particularly where chemical engineering can contribute to the public interest
The Public Affairs and Information Committee, under the leadership of Chair Mary Ellen Ternes (front row, center), is working to expand AIChE’s interaction with government, prioritize issues that impact chemical engineers, and develop tools for members conducting outreach at the grassroots level.
The Public Affairs and Information Committee, under the leadership of Chair Mary Ellen Ternes (front row, center), is working to expand AIChE’s interaction with government, prioritize issues that impact chemical engineers, and develop tools for members conducting outreach at the grassroots level.
Chartered: 
2012

In order to better "...serve society, particularly where chemical engineering can contribute to the public interest..." as stated in AIChE's Constitution, AIChE’s Board of Directors has established a Public Affairs and Information Committee (PAIC), which reports directly to the Board.

PAIC is tasked with:

  • broadening AIChE's activities and providing consistent information flow to and from federal government representatives on technical issues where chemical engineering expertise is needed
  • providing the various Institute groups (divisions, forums, and industry technology groups) and members with information on issues under consideration by public officials
  • guiding members and local sections in their interactions with state and local government and, when asked, providing leadership on local issues that can have a broader impact 
  • developing internship and fellowship opportunities for AIChE members in public policy positions
  • providing information on issues at the international level, and
  • working more closely with sister organizations in the evolving global economy. 
 
PAIC consists of at least 15 and up to 20 members, who serve five-year terms. Members may only be re-nominated once, and therefore, serve a maximum of ten years. Members are selected to represent the broad membership, with at least one-third being current or former members of the Board of Directors and one-third chosen from various Institute entities. 
 
PAIC, chartered in 2012, is a successor organization to the former Government Relations Committee.

Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE)

Each year, outstanding engineering students are selected to spend nine weeks in a special summer program to learn how government officials make decisions on complex technological issues and how engineers can contribute to legislative and regulatory policy decisions. PAIC coordinates AIChE’s participation in the WISE program, which is ranked one of the best internship opportunities in the U.S. by the  Princeton Review. For more information please visit: www.wise-intern.org

SHALE GAS: What’s Up with That?

Shale gas remains in the news as consideration is given to opening new areas for development, and as a forthcoming film, Promised Land (debuting December 28, 2012), raise questions about its business and social, as well as its environmental, impacts. Development of shale gas resources poses complex challenges and opportunities. Finding the right solutions to best use shale gas to meet our energy needs, while protecting the environment and growing the economy, requires chemical engineering expertise.

To help AIChE members better understand and better communicate about shale gas, the Public Affairs & Information Committee has helped curate valuable shale gas resources. These resources offer technically sound information drawn from AIChE publications, web forums and webinars, conference proceedings and Congressional briefings. The special supplement on Shale Gas from the August 2012 issue of CEP is a great starting place. 

Go to Shale Gas Resources

Leadership

Leadership roles are listed below. Login is required to view contact information.

Mary Ellen Ternes
Chair
Maria Burka
Vice Chair
Otis Shelton
Past Chair
Stephen Smith
Staff Liaison

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