Share The Public Affairs and Information Committee 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: 2012PAIC Climate Change Task Force Discussion AIChE's PAIC is currently conducting a dicussion with members on the Validity of Observed/Measured Data I Learn more 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. Chemical Engineers Offer Recommendations for Establishing Process Safety Investigation Boards See Press Release See White Paper 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. Fracking Attracting Increased Interest in Chemical Engineering at NCSU Recently, AIChE 2014 Past President Phil Westmoreland and two students from NC State University’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering were interviewed by Time Warner Cable News about the University’s chemical engineering program and its role in solving fracking’s challenges and in helping the energy industry to continue to evolve. Read More Shale Gas Resource Page 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. Read More 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 LeadershipAIChE White Papers Bridging the Finance Gap for Carbon Capture and Storage Recommendations for Establishing Process Safety Investigation Boards AIChE and Climate Change 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.