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.
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.
Leadership
Leadership roles are listed below. Login is required to view contact information.
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Chair |
Vice Chair |
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Past Chair |
Staff Liaison |
AIChE White Papers
- Energy Sources Integration, with Figure
- Framework for a 21stCentury United States Energy Strategy (by AIChE & ACS)
- Massive Electricity Storage - An AIChE White Paper
- LNG: A Viable Technology for Improving Gas Supplies - An AIChE Position Statement
- Are Fuel Cells Appropriate for Cars and Trucks? - An AIChE Position Statement
- Science and Technology to Meet our Energy Needs (by AIChE & ACS)
- On July 29, 2010, AIChE joined with the American Chemical Society’s Science and the Congress Project to present a Congressional briefing, “Chemistry in the Clean-Up: Oil Dispersants.” The event, with Senators Lamar Alexander (R, TN) and Jeff Bingaman (D, NM) as honorary hosts, was moderated by Deb Grubbe, chair of AIChE’s Institute for Sustainability. Maria Burka, AIChE President-elect, offered concluding comments to a record crowd. Speakers’ slides and videos and supplemental resources are available.



