Scenes from the 2025 Annual Meeting: “Chemical Engineering Reimagined” in Boston

COMMENTS (0)
AIChE

The AIChE Annual Meeting was held Nov. 2–6, 2025 in Boston, MA, gathering an audience of nearly 5,800 researchers, students, and industry practitioners from all around the globe. This meeting was one of the largest ever hosted by AIChE. The meeting’s theme, Chemical Engineering Reimagined, was evident in the many fascinating special sessions and lectures delivered throughout the week.

With more than 60 exhibitors, the exhibit hall was one of the most vibrant spaces at this year’s Annual Meeting. Companies filled the floor with hands-on technology demonstrations and interactive software displays that drew steady crowds. As the home of the opening reception and daily coffee breaks, the hall quickly became a central hub for networking — a place where attendees gathered to reconnect with colleagues, meet potential collaborators, and explore the latest innovations shaping the chemical engineering landscape.

These photos tell the story best, highlighting the energy, enthusiasm, and sense of community that defined this year’s conference.

images
The featured session, “Development of a Novel Platform to Deliver Large-Volume Synthetic Peptides,” drew over a hundred attendees. Panelists Pádraig Murphy, Jennifer Groh, and Kevin Seibert, all from Eli Lilly, discussed the development and commercialization of a GLP-1 drug.
images
If there was one place where the energy of the meeting was most palpable, it was the exhibit hall. Over 60 companies packed the space with eye-catching booths, tech demos, and innovative software offerings. The hall doubled as the venue for the opening reception, shown here.
images
The 2025 Cato T. Laurencin Regenerative Engineering Founder’s Award Lecture was presented by Nicholas A. Peppas of the University of Texas at Austin on Monday, Nov. 3.
images
The Langer Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Excellence was presented to Mark Blenner of the University of Delaware to further his research into microplastics abatement.
images
The Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress Lecture was given by Ali Khademhosseini, who inspired audiences with his talk about engineering in precision medicine.
images
On Tuesday evening, two back-to-back lectures highlighted major themes in biological engineering. (left) Daniel G. Anderson (MIT) presented the James E. Bailey Award Lecture, and (right) Costas D. Maranas (Pennsylvania State University) presented the D.I.C. Wang Award Lecture.

All photos by Kevin Trimmer, unless noted.

Annual Student Conference draws record-breaking crowd

The Annual Student Conference (ASC), held Oct. 31 through Nov. 3, drew the most attendees of any ASC ever held by AIChE. With a total attendance of almost 2,400 students, this conference was an incredible demonstration of the next generation of engineering ingenuity. Students attended lectures and panel discussions, showcased their research at poster sessions, and participated in a wide array of technical competitions — including ChemE Jeopardy, Chem-E-Car, ChemE-Sports, ChemE Cube, and the Student Technical Presentation Competition.

The annual Chem-E-Car Competition® is one of the most exciting student-led challenges in chemical engineering. This year, 53 teams competed for top honors at the final competition in Boston. In the end, the first-place award went to the team from National Technical University of Athens, whose car named “CHAOS” stopped just 4.2 cm from the target line. Following close behind were California State University Long Beach (which stopped 7 cm from the target) and Cornell University (8.9 cm).

At the ChemE Cube competition, students proved the functionality of their miniature direct air capture plants — all small enough to fit inside a 1-ft3 box. The 2025 first-place award was won by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, with the runner-up award going to the University of Michigan.

The sold-out Night of Networking event at ASC brought together hundreds of students from across the globe, creating one of the most energetic gatherings of the conference. The event offered a lively, welcoming space for students to meet new friends and forge meaningful professional connections.

The 2025 ASC once again showcased how future chemical engineers are combining technical know-how with creativity, teamwork, and practical design thinking, showcasing the promise of tomorrow’s engineers.

images
 At the Chem-E-Car finals, a wide array of creative designs were on display, and the excitement was palpable as each team’s car rolled across the floor, aiming to meet the target distance as accurately as possible. The top prize went to the National Technical University of Athens team, shown here.
images
The ASC Leadership Panel encouraged students to think about the future. Moderated by Emily Petruzzelli (left, CEP), the panelists — Tayo Femi-Fowode (GE Vernova), Austin S. Lin (IEC/ISO U.S. National Committee on Quantum Technologies), Victoria Muir (University of Delaware), and Alan Nelson (SLB) — shared their experiences to answer career and leadership questions from attendees.
images
At the ChemE Cube competition, hosted by the RAPID Manufacturing Institute, teams competed in head-to-head duels to capture carbon dioxide from air.
images
 The Night of Networking was a highlight of the Annual Student Conference, selling out and drawing hundreds of students from all over the world. The event provided a vibrant setting for students to connect, collaborate, and expand their professional networks.
images
The AIChE Beer Brewing Competition, part of the professional Annual Meeting and supported by the Early Career Community, brewed up a little friendly rivalry between teams.

All photos by Kevin Trimmer, unless noted.

Hands-on learning takes center stage at the AIChE K-12 STEM Showcase

The 2025 AIChE K-12 STEM Showcase and Outreach Competition, held Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, as part of the AIChE Annual Meeting and Annual Student Conference, was a resounding success. The event engaged K-12 students, parents, educators, and chemical engineering professionals in hands-on STEM learning and discovery. It offered interactive demonstrations, experiments, and discussions designed to spark curiosity about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) — with a special focus on chemical engineering concepts presented in fun and accessible ways.

A highlight of the day was the keynote performance by Jay Flores, a global STEM ambassador and children’s book author, whose live show “It’s Not Magic, It’s Science!” captivated young attendees. Flores, who is also a three-time competitor on American Ninja Warrior, energized the crowd and reinforced the message that STEM is exciting, accessible, and full of wonder for learners of all ages.

In addition to the inspiring keynote, the Showcase featured the AIChE K-12 STEM Outreach Competition, where AIChE members presented interactive modules to the K-12 students. The event also included a lunch and learn and invited attendees to cheer on the 25th annual AIChE Chem-E-Car Competition finals. Together, these activities made the 2025 Showcase a dynamic celebration of STEM learning and inspiration.

images

images

images

This article originally appeared in the Institute News column in the January 2026 issue of CEP. Members have access online to complete issues, including a vast, searchable archive of back-issues found at www.aiche.org/cep.