Ever Wonder How and Where Chemical Engineering Started?
The mid-Michigan chapter of AIChE aims to find out as they host The Evolving Field of Chemical Engineering Education, a dinner and talk presented by Dr. Laura Dietsche of The Dow Chemical Company. Here's a bit about what will be discussed at the program, via the mid-Michigan local section site:
The first chemical engineering program was launched at MIT in the late 1800s to bridge the gap between chemistry and industrial engineering. The explosive growth of new chemicals and high competition levels during the industrial revolution spurred the need for optimized chemical operations including continuous reactors, efficient chemical separation and recovery, fluid and solid transport, and recycling. This led to the development of standardized chemical engineering education components focused on the distinguishing concept of "unit operations."
AIChE was the leader in pushing for an accreditation process to promote a level of standardization and quality within chemical eng. programs in the U.S., which led to the formation of ABET. However, standardization did not mean stagnation, and the chemical engineering profession and education system has continued to evolve and expand its boundaries, incorporating new technologies and areas such as biotechnology, electronics, material science, and nano-technology. There has also been significant evolution in the tools of the trade going from slide rules and nomographs to large computer clusters and sophisticated software and equipment.
Dietsche works in the engineering sciences department for the Dow Chemical Company. Her focus for the past 17
years has been in the area of fluid mechanics and mixing, and she specializes in computational fluid dynamics calculations used to understand and optimize gas and liquid flows within chemical process equipment.
Dietsche is also a member of the AIChE Education and Accreditation Committee bringing an industrial perspective to the evolving field of chemical engineering education. In May of 2010, Dr. Dietsche was named the Mid-Michigan Chemical Engineer of the Year by her local Section of AIChE.
Interested In Attending?
Event Details:
- Date: February 23
- Location: The Grand Traverse Pie Company (2600 N. Saginaw Road, Midland, Michigan) Map
- 6:00pm Dinner - Sandwiches provided while they last
- 7:00pm Presentation