Wednesday Luncheon Keynote

Wednesday, April 15 12:00PM-1:30PM CDT

Join us for the 2026 AIChE Spring Meeting and 22nd GCPS Wednesday luncheon presented by Gulay Serhatkulu, Senior Vice President at Petrochemicals North America, BASF.

*This is a a ticketed event and available to bundle registrants only. It includes a plated 3-course lunch, and a presentation by Gulay Serhatkulu, Senior Vice President at Petrochemicals North America, BASF.

Chemical Engineering in a Changing World: When Solving the Problems Isn’t Enough

The chemical industry underpins modern society but is increasingly portrayed through simplified narratives around incidents, plastics, and climate impacts that lack systems context. While chemical engineers evaluate risk and environmental impact comparatively, public discourse often generalizes localized failures to the entire industry, overlooking decades of progress in process safety, emissions control, and stewardship.

Data show that power generation, transportation, and agriculture dominate greenhouse gas emissions, while chemical manufacturing represents a smaller share and follows different decarbonization pathways. Likewise, plastic pollution is driven largely by waste management and infrastructure gaps rather than chemistry alone—yet the industry faces disproportionate reputational and regulatory pressure.

As a result, technical excellence is no longer sufficient. The future competitiveness and license to operate chemical enterprises increasingly depend on engineers’ ability to clearly explain risk, trade offs, and system boundaries. Effective communication is becoming a core responsibility of the profession.

Wednesday Lunch Options TBA

(These will include options for vegan and gluten-free dietary restrictions.)