Introduction to the Virtual Local Section

By Malcom Martin and Noah Meeks

The Virtual Local Section (VLS) gives AIChE members who live outside areas with conventional Local Sections a chance to attend monthly meetings, hear great speakers, and network with other members including Young Professionals. VLS Chairman Dr. Noah Meeks answered these questions to give more information about what the VLS does, who attends the meetings and some advantages of the virtual format.

What events or meetings does the VLS host and when do they happen? 

The main events at the Virtual Local Section are the monthly meetings, which are conducted much like conventional Local Sections’ regular meetings, with some introductions, announcements, and a speaker.  We are in the process of restarting our VLS YP meetings as well, which typically happen before our regular meetings each month, and are conducted similarly. We typically meet on the fourth Thursday of each month at 9 PM Eastern time. While the meetings are the primary events, we have had some special events, such as an undergraduate poster competition (online!), from time to time.

What are the strengths of the virtual format?

The virtual format has some benefits over conventional meetings.  First, members are able to participate from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This means members only need to take one hour out of their schedules rather than an entire evening for a Local Section meeting.  It also means that we are able to connect folks from all over the world at the same time.  This advantage is also true for speakers. We are able to find speakers of very high caliber because there is no travel involved. Second, the virtual format lends itself very well to learning. The slides are right in front of you, and the meetings are recorded with audio and video synchronized.

Are there any aspects of the virtual format that will never be able to replace an in-person format? 

The social aspect for a local section is much different than the in-person format.  It is difficult to do happy hour socials virtually.  It is also more difficult for some speakers because they don’t get the real time feedback of speaking in front of an audience. We try to compensate for some of these issues by having open discussion as folks are joining the meeting, making sure we keep up with the regular meetings, and trying to meet in person at the AIChE national meetings.

Are there any ideas to add features to the VLS? 

We are trying to add some new features which will further compensate for our social interaction difficulties.  Ideas that have been proposed include a virtual wine or beer tasting, a trivia night, etc.  We are also getting our YP group restarted and hope that will spur some of these initiatives.

Can you tell us anything about the members who participate in the meetings? What about the leadership of the VLS?

Most of our members live far from a conventional local section, but most of our leadership is or has been involved in conventional Local Sections and is typically very active in other aspects of AIChE.  We consider this a benefit as that brings their experience to this new effort.  However, I expect over time that more folks will become active who haven’t been too involved in AIChE or don’t have a local section close by.

What is the relationship between the VLS and the Local Sections?

We are not looking to compete or distract from conventional Local Sections and hope that some of the things we are learning and utilizing about interacting with virtual technology can be adapted to conventional local sections as appropriate. For example, perhaps these virtual meetings could replace leadership conference calls that many of our Local Sections have, or perhaps virtual meetings with higher-profile speakers could be utilized in addition to in-person meetings by our conventional Local Sections. 

Who would you encourage to become involved in the VLS?

If someone doesn’t have a conventional local section at hand, which is true for many American members and most international members, they should get involved in the VLS as their Local Section. It provides an opportunity to learn about AIChE through direct interaction with other members, learn about new areas from the speakers, and have at least limited interaction with other chemical engineers outside of their work contacts. It’s valuable to utilize these contacts to find your own home in the Institute, whether primarily in Local Sections, technological communities, operating councils, etc.

If you don’t live near a Local Section or just want to check out the virtual format, meetings are typically held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 9 P.M. Eastern time. The monthly meetings are the primary events, but also look for special events on the website, http://virtual.aiche.org.