Pictured above: The 2024-2025 AIChE Chicago Board at the Centennial Celebration in May
AIChE’s Chicago Local Section, with a century-long history, is known for its strong leadership, lively programming, and dedication to the chemical engineering community. What began as an act of hospitality evolved into technical meetings, a vibrant young professional group, and STEM outreach—fostering growth and connections.
To celebrate this milestone, we spoke with Azita Ahmadzadeh, Centennial Committee Chair, and Janet Werner, section historian and Centennial Committee member, who shared valuable insights into CLS’s legacy and vision for the future.
What can you tell us about the early days of the AIChE Chicago Local Section? How did it come to be, and what did it mean to be the very first local section?
AIChE Chicago Section is the longest-running section, but not technically the oldest. Detroit originally asked to be a local section first and was established in 1922, but didn't survive the Great Depression per AIChE. This makes AIChE Chicago the oldest continuously running section in AIChE, thanks to the hard work of all of our past and present officers.
AIChE Chicago's roots started in 1924 when local members funded a dinner and dance event for East Coast members (including AIChE Secretary John Olsen) during a train layover on their way to an AIChE meeting in Denver. The successful event's leftover funds launched the local section. Approved by AIChE Council in December 1924, AIChE Chicago held its first meeting in January 1925 at the Western Society of Engineers.
As the oldest established section, AIChE Chicago was better equipped to host national AIChE meetings, which they did frequently in the earlier part of the institute’s history. Unfortunately, AIChE has held only one national meeting in Chicago in the last 25 years.
The May 10th centennial celebration was a big milestone! What were some of the most memorable moments from the event, and how did it reflect on the section’s 100-year journey?
The May 10th centennial celebration commemorated 100 years of contributions to chemical engineering, bringing together diverse members including key figures from the past three decades.
During the Centennial Celebration, Janet presented on the section’s history. First, she engaged the audience with trivia about the section's history. Her presentation started with key figures in the establishment of the section, including a fascinating scan of an original 1924 telegram from AIChE National to local section organizers. Janet’s presentation also highlighted statistics and highlights of AIChE Chicago’s 100 years of programming, demonstrating the significance and impact of AIChE Chicago on the local chemical engineering community.
Dr. Bob Anderson, a longtime member with over 50 years of involvement, delivered a captivating speech blending professional insight with humor and memorable chemical engineering anecdotes. Something notable about Bob Anderson’s participation in this event is that he attended the 50th, 75th, and 100th anniversaries of the AIChE Chicago Section (1975, 2000, 2025)!
Natalie from the AIChE Foundation presented on AIChE's core pillars, providing valuable context about the Foundation's mission supporting innovation, education, safety, and community engagement.
The celebration was both reflective and forward-looking, honoring a rich history while inspiring continued growth.
For a full write-up on our Centennial Celebration, see our June 2025 newsletter!
How has the Chicago Local Section helped early-career engineers grow and connect?
Chicago has special significance for young professionals in AIChE. The national Young Professionals Advisory Board (YPAB) launched at the 2002 Leadership Development Conference in Chicago! In 2005, Chicago founded its own local YPAB group.
In 2006, Chicago YPAB wrote: "We will have technical events geared toward educating young professionals, introducing them to the ideals and benefits of AIChE-Chicago, and social events where young professionals can have fun and interact... We believe YPAB-Chicago is the future of the Chicago Section." The Chicago YPAB/YPC went on to plan plant tours, professional development sessions, socials, and K-12 outreach.
Several Chicago members have been selected as AIChE's 35 Under 35 over the years, attesting to the value that AIChE Chicago YPAB/YPC has brought over the past 20 years.
As the section kicks off its second century, what are some of the goals or initiatives you’re excited about?
During the centennial year, AIChE Chicago monthly technical meetings featured facility tours alongside traditional presentations. This format was extremely well-received, allowing members to engage with industry professionals and see chemical engineering applications firsthand. Positive feedback has encouraged us to incorporate more facility tours into our regular programming.
We're also strengthening community outreach by looking into reshaping our K–12 activities. Our goal is to inspire the next generation through interactive activities, classroom visits, and school/university collaboration. By investing in early STEM engagement, we hope to build a more diverse pipeline of future engineers.
Learn more about the Chicago Local Section Find your Local Section Not an AIChE member? Join or renew today.
