2025 AIChE Foundation Report | AIChE

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2025 AIChE Foundation Report

May
2025

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Dear Friends,

Ten years ago, the AIChE Foundation, with your help and guidance, set off on a path to Do a World of Good.

Since then, thousands of our members joined us in our efforts. They contributed time, talent, and treasure. They helped us to develop our five transformative priorities which advance the strategic pillars of AIChE. As you turn the following pages, you will read how philanthropy is a game changer at AIChE.

Donors’ commitment is expressed in various ways:

  • Introducing the positive impact of chemical engineers to all
  • Providing chemical engineering students access to process safety curriculum
  • Enhancing career journeys with continuing education and community connections
  • Recognizing innovative and impactful members of the profession
  • Cultivating the next generation of talent.

Join your peers, your colleagues, and your friends in donating to the AIChE Foundation today. If you don’t see an option that makes you want to give, please email giving@aiche.org with the subject line: Jennifer Curtis – I Want to Do Good and I’ll follow up.

I hope by 2026, we’ll share how your gift made an impact and your story will inspire another. That’s the power of good.

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With warm regards,

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Jennifer Sinclair Curtis

Chair, AIChE Foundation Board of Trustees; Distinguished Engineer, UC Davis

Foundation Board of Trustees

Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, Chair

Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis

Michael Graff, Vice Chair

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc.

Bruce E. Chinn, Past Chair

President & Chief Executive Officer, Chevron Phillips Chemical - Retired

Trustees

Billy Bardin

Taryn Bayles

Shailendra Bordawekar

Arindam Bose

Garry Bryan

Michelle Caveness

Lance Collins

Dan Coombs

Lydia Contreras

Brian Davison

Kevin Fogash

Gayle Gibson

Paul Mensah

Eric Reiner

Board of Directors Liaisons

Stephen P. Beaudoin, AIChE BoD Representative

Victor Bohnert, AIChE Interim CEO and Executive Director

Ana Davis, AIChE Treasurer

Anne O’Neal, AIChE President Elect

David Parrillo, AIChE Sr. BOD Representative

Celebrating 10 Years of Doing a World of Good

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Ten years ago, the AIChE Foundation launched a $15MM campaign, Doing a World of Good. Since then, it has grown into a movement powering good throughout AIChE.

This year we are delighted to celebrate a decade of Doing a World of Good by featuring areas of impact that align the Foundation’s five transformative priorities to AIChE’s strategic vision.

Donors, who are primarily AIChE members, helped to introduce chemical engineering to a new generation, increased educational offerings (and access to them) for chemical engineers throughout their career journeys, created connections by broadening personal and professional networks, and invested in promising ideas.

Through our support of AIChE communities like the Minority Affairs Community (MAC), Women in Chemical Engineering (WIC), Disabilities OutReach & Inclusion Community (DORIC), and LGBTQ+ & Allies, Doing a World of Good (DAWG) enhanced career journeys through expanded access to continuing education, connections to mentors, and community building events. Opening doors of opportunity is critical to changing perceptions of who is a chemical engineer and creates avenues for underrepresented students and professionals to learn, grow, and thrive.

From the Undergraduate Process Safety Learning Initiative (UPSLI) to the Langer Prize, the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) to the Stephanopoulos Award, your contributions are an investment in broadening our reach and deepening our impact.

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“Doing a World of Good has made an impact in a lot of places. From Bee a ChemE introducing middle school students and teachers to chemical engineering to FOSSI funding the next generation of STEM scholars. There are a lot of impacts, large and small, that the Foundation has made.”

Jessica O. Winter, Member - AIChE Board of Directors & AIChE Foundation Donor

Over the past decade, the AIChE Foundation has transformed philanthropy into impact, empowering the chemical engineering community to shape a better future. As we celebrate this milestone, we look ahead with renewed commitment to innovation, education, and inclusion. Together, we will continue Doing a World of Good — driving progress and expanding opportunities for generations to come.

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Billy Bardin (Foundation Trustee), Anne O’Neal (Board President Elect), Tony Butterfield (IDEAL Star Award Winner), David Parrillo, and Ana Davis (Board of Directors)

Five Transformative Priorities

In 2015, AIChE Foundation, in consultation with members and donors, identified five priorities, that with philanthropic support, are transforming the profession.

Attracting and Retaining the Best and Brightest

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As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the AIChE Foundation’s Doing a World of Good, we reflect on transformative programs shaping the future of chemical engineering and beyond. Among our proudest achievements is the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI), which has empowered hundreds of students to pursue their dreams and become the next generation of STEM leaders.

Launched in 2020, FOSSI is a partnership between AIChE, the American Chemistry Council, Chemours, and the HBCU Week Foundation to build a more inclusive and innovative STEM workforce by strengthening the talent pipeline.

FOSSI awards $40,000 scholarships to high-achieving high school seniors pursuing STEM degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Scholars also receive mentorship, internship opportunities with program sponsors, and access to AIChE’s Fundamentals of Success program, which includes leadership training, career workshops, industry webinars, and networking events.

The impact of FOSSI extends far beyond financial support. As JonMari McKinley, a FOSSI Graduate from NC A&T State University, shared, “Beyond financial support, FOSSI provided invaluable resources that aided my personal and professional development. CPChem’s investment in FOSSI (and me) did far more than make my education possible; it also enriched my college experience in unexpected ways, for which I am grateful.”

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FOSSI Graduate JonMari McKinley

Now in its fifth year, FOSSI has united more than 80 sponsor companies and raised over $40 million to fund 800+ scholars. In spring 2025, we will proudly celebrate our first graduating class — a milestone that underscores our commitment to building a diverse and innovative STEM workforce.

Research and Innovation

Endowments and Peer-Led Fundraising Efforts

The AIChE Foundation’s endowment efforts continue to shape the future of chemical engineering, ensuring long-term support for programs that advance the profession. In 2024, we successfully endowed the Fellows Endowment, reaching our $50K goal to expand the K-12 STEM Ambassador Program, a vital initiative within AIChE’s national awareness campaign, Bee a ChemE. This milestone builds on our history of successful endowment fundraising, including the prestigious Langer Prize, established in 2018 and now endowed at nearly $2 million, which supports groundbreaking research and entrepreneurial innovation in chemical and biological engineering.

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Ashish Kulkarni (’24 Langer Prize Winner), Pablo Debenedetti (Past Chair Foundation Trustee), and Jennifer Sinclair Curtis (Chair Foundation Trustee)

These achievements would not be possible without the dedication of our volunteer fundraisers — our campaign champions — whose leadership and outreach efforts inspire generosity across our community. Each year at the AIChE Annual Meeting, we recognize these outstanding individuals with our Fundraiser of the Year Award. Recent honorees include Billy Bardin (2024), who helped drive historic leadership giving; Mike Harold (2023), whose strategic efforts doubled fundraising for the CRE Division Endowment; and Arindam Bose (2021), who championed funding for the Society for Biological Engineering (Wispelwey Fund), personally inspiring new donors. Their commitment exemplifies the power of philanthropy in sustaining AIChE’s mission for generations to come.

The success of these efforts demonstrates the strength of our peer-led fundraising, where members step up to rally their colleagues, peers, and networks in support of causes they believe in.

As we celebrate a decade of Doing a World of Good, these milestones remind us that our collective generosity fuels AIChE’s future. A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated peer fundraisers — your leadership, passion, and generosity are shaping the next 10 years of impact!

“I implore everybody else to consider donating to DAWG and supporting it — whether that’s financially or your time or your talent.”

Tayo Femi-Fowode, MAC, Past-Chair

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Sydney Floryanzia (MAC Scholar) & Tayo Femi-Fowode (MAC Past Chair)

Changing Perceptions

Looking Ahead, Giving Back

James Turner joins the Legacy Society with a bequest that honors the past — and supports the future.

With over 35 years of experience in the refining, chemicals, and gas processing industries, James Turner has made a lasting mark on chemical engineering through his leadership, innovation, and dedication to mentorship. Now, as the 51st member of the AIChE Legacy Society, he’s ensuring that impact continues far into the future.

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A Fellow of AIChE and a longtime volunteer leader, James has served in nearly every capacity — from Chair of the South Texas Section and the Fuels and Petrochemicals Division to Trustee of the AIChE Foundation Board. His decision to include AIChE in his estate plans reflects a deep commitment to the profession and a desire to give back to the organization that has played a meaningful role in his career.

Looking for a way to impact our profession in the future? Consider joining the Legacy Society, where visionary donors ensure that AIChE’s transformative work will continue for generations to come.

Education, Training, and Career Development

The Power of Community: WIC and MAC Making an Impact

Within AIChE, two standout communities — Women in Chemical Engineering (WIC) and the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC) — are helping shape a more inclusive and representative future for the profession. With support from the AIChE Foundation, these groups are expanding opportunity and access for students and professionals who have been historically underrepresented in chemical engineering.

Women in Chemical Engineering (WIC) supports women in the field through mentorship, networking, and professional development. Thanks to a multi-year gift from Scott and Karen Love, the WIC Mentorship Excellence Awards were expanded to three categories — industry, academia, and national labs.

The Minority Affairs Committee’s (MAC’s) Henry T. and Melinda C. Brown Endowment Fund provides scholarships to up to 30 high-achieving undergraduate students each year. In 2024, MAC Scholar Michael Amaya-Daniel was honored with the inaugural Lance R. Collins MAC Scholar Award, which recognizes the most exceptional MAC Scholar of the year.

MAC also recently launched a fundraising campaign for the Janice Lumpkin Travel Award, established through an initial gift from Jessica Winter, to help underrepresented students attend the AIChE Annual Meeting. Nearly 50% of the $25,000 goal has been raised so far, thanks to the leadership and dedication of fundraising committee leads Kathy Lee and Janice Adewuyi.

By supporting WIC and MAC, AIChE Foundation donors are helping to build a future where all chemical engineers have the opportunity to thrive.

Safety and Ethical Practice

Undergraduate Process Safety Learning Initiative

The first program funded by Doing a World of Good, the Undergraduate Process Safety Learning Initiative (UPSLI), began over a decade ago when the AIChE Foundation brought together industry leaders to explore ways to accelerate process safety education and better prepare chemical engineering undergraduates for the profession.

UPSLI, run by AIChE’s Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), focuses on three areas:

  • Faculty Workshops – an in-depth look at the importance of process safety education, and tools and case studies to integrate into their curriculum for undergraduates
  • SAChE – extending the cooperative effort between CCPS and engineering schools to bring elements of process safety into undergraduate education at no cost
  • Student Bootcamps – educating students on how leading companies manage process safety to prevent catastrophic accidents involving toxic, highly reactive, and flammable materials.
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Scott Love and the WIC Mentor Award Winners

UPSLI has helped give today’s students the knowledge to minimize incidents and make our world more livable.

“It was so rewarding to build relationships with faculty members and hear how they will incorporate process safety concepts into their curricula, to ensure that their students are fully prepared for the future challenges of the chemical industry,” said Kathy Kas, Dow’s Environmental, Health & Safety Fellow.

“I think the value of [DAWG] is in the impact on individual people. You will see that impact as time goes on and as people make small changes to make the world a better place.”

Raymond Rooks, AIChE Board Member & AIChE Foundation Donor

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John J. McKetta, Jr. AIChE Lifetime Giving Society

Diamond ($100,000+)

Anonymous (3)

Arindam & Gopa Bose

Gordon A. Cain*

Katherine L. & John C.* Chen

Collins Foundation

Farokhzad Family Charitable Fund

Norman & Jane Li

Scott D. & Karen L. Love

John J. McKetta, Jr.*

Amir Nashat

Floyd Newburn* Foundation

Syamal K. & Susmita Poddar

James B. Porter, Jr.

Eric S. Reiner

John P. Sachs*

Darlene S. Schuster

Otis A. & Phyllis Shelton

Klaus D. Timmerhaus*

Alfred E. Wechsler*

Vern W. Weekman, Jr.*

June C. Wispelwey & Mark B. Bradley

Platinum ($50,000 - $99,999)

Andreas & Juana Acrivos

James M. Braus*

Elizabeth* & Albert V.* Caselli

Bruce & Sandra Chinn

Dan & Ellen Coombs

David R. & Karen Eckhardt

Raj & Kamla Gupta UJALA Family Foundation

Eduardo D. Glandt

Chris Jahn

Dale L. & Von Keairns

Gerald A. Lessells

William Parrish

Mazumdar-Shaw Philanthropy

Stanley I. Proctor*

Charles E. Reed*

Freeman E. Self, Jr.

Gregory N. Stephanopoulos & Maria* Flytzani-Stephanopoulos

James A. Trainham

David Yankovitz

S. Shariq Yosufzai & Brian James

Gold ($25,000 - $49,999)

Billy B. Bardin & Linh D. Le

Taryn Bayles - In Memory of Dr. and Mrs. Harald A. Melkus

Joan F. Brennecke & Mark A. Stadtherr

Maria K. Burka

Chau-Chyun Chen

Lance R. Collins

Jennifer Sinclair Curtis

Pablo G. Debenedetti & Silvia I. Strauss-Debenedetti

Thomas F. Edgar

Richard E. Emmert

Bruce A. Finlayson

Karen A. Fletcher

H. Scott* & Janet Fogler

Gayle J. Gibson

James M. Johnson*

Kane Family Fund

Peter B.* & Susan Lederman

Mark & Becky Levin

David Lucchino

Henri J. Maget

James F. Mathis

Susan & Franklin M. Orr

Sidney F. Sapakie

Marvin O. Schlanger

Warren G. Schlinger

Warren & Diane Seider

Jeffrey J. Siirola

Margaret Smith

John A. Sofranko

John Televantos

Levi T. & Maria Thompson

Victoria D. Wang

Phillip R. Westmoreland & Kathleen J. Beach

Silver ($10,000 - $24,999)

Anonymous

Noubar B. Afeyan

Michael & Patricia Barry

James R. Beilstein

Howard Bernstein

Charles R.* & Ruth L.* Bickling

Henry T. Brown*

Evan Buck

William D. Byers

Brice Carnahan

Robert J. Carpenter

Calvin B. Cobb

Charles L. Cooney

Thomas F. Degnan, Jr. & Anne R. Degnan

Nance K. Dicciani

Dianne Dorland

Basil C. & Ann S. Doumas

Lowell L. Fellinger*

Gary J. Fennewald

Kevin B. Fogash

Robert C. Forney*

Christine S. Grant

Andrew Grove*

Deborah L. Grubbe

Hugh D. Guthrie*

Carol K. Hall

Thomas R. Hanley

William H. Harlacher*

Sheldon E. Isakoff*

Hugh & Karen James

Susan H. Jones

William E. Katz*

Harold S. Kemp*

Sangtae & Julie Kim

C. Judson King

Henry T. Kohlbrand

Pierre R. Latour

Ann L. Lee & Bill Adams

Cheng Lian

Peter N. & Susan Lodal

Thomas R. Marrero*

Duncan A. & Suzanne Mellichamp

Emmett R. Miller

Michael J. Morgan

Darwin A. Novak*

John P. O’Connell

Soni O.* & Priscilla Oyekan

Joe B. Powell

John W. Prados

Clayton J. Radke

Gintaris V. Reklaitis

Daryl & Erikal Roberts

Anne Roby & Lawrence Dodd

Mostafa Ronaghi & Parinaz Mohamadi

Howard B. Rosen & Susan M. Doherty

Ronald W. Rousseau

Al Sacco

William Schowalter

Daniel J. Schultheisz

Donald C. Seeley*

Diane K. Spencer

Alan Spoon

Arnold F. Stancell

George C. Szego*

Edward F. Take*

Glenn E. Taylor

Jean Tom & Richard Register

Arvind Varma*

Darsh T. Wasan

Liangzhi Xie

Wendy C. Young

Giving Society as of 31 March 2025

To view the full list, visitaiche.org/giving/supporters/donors/giving-society

AIChE Legacy Society Members

The AIChE Foundation would like to thank the members of the AIChE Legacy Society for their generosity, foresight, and extraordinary personal commitment to AIChE.

Anonymous (1)

Paul L. and Elizabeth W. Bechly

Charles R.* & Ruth L.* Bickling

James M. Braus*

Shannon E. Brown

William D. Byers

Elizabeth* & Albert V.* Caselli

John C.* & Katherine L. Chen

Edward L. Cussler

James R. Deam

Dianne Dorland

Basil “Bill” C. Doumas

Thomas F. & Donna P.* Edgar

Lowell L. Fellinger*

Richard Fielitz*

E. Dennis Griffith

Deborah L. Grubbe & James B. Porter

William H. Harlacher*

Sheldon E.* & Anita Isakoff

Raphael Katzen*

Dale L. & Von Keairns

Sangtae & Julie Kim

Peter B.* & Susan Lederman

Roberto Lee

Scott & Karen Love

Edward R. H. McDowell

John J. McKetta, Jr.*

Michael J. Morgan

Soni O. Oyekan*

Syamal K. & Susmita Poddar

Stanley I.* & Carol J.* Proctor

Charles E. Reed*

David A. Rosenthal

John P. Sachs*

Darlene S. Schuster

Donald C. Seeley*

Warren D. & Diane H. Seider

Otis A. & Phyllis Shelton

John A. Sofranko & Carol S. Lee

George C. Szego*

John & Rose Tao

Glenn E. Taylor

Klaus D. Timmerhaus*

James A. Trainham

James Turner

Philip W. Winkler

June C. Wispelwey

*Deceased

Interested in Getting Involved?

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Scan the QR code above to set up a one-on-one with Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, Chair of the AIChE Foundation.

We’d like to hear from you — tell us what you know, think, or want to do.

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