Meeting Attendees throw their hats up during a festive meeting-wide photo at the Coffee & Cowboys Coffee Break on Monday, April 13.
Nearly 2300 chemical engineers, process safety professionals, and industry stakeholders from around the world gathered at the 2026 AIChE Spring Meeting and 22nd Global Congress on Process Safety (GCPS), held April 12–16, 2026, in Houston, TX.
The meeting’s focus
Looking ahead to the evolving role of chemical engineers in shaping industry and society, the Spring Meeting showcased the breadth of the profession through nearly 200 technical sessions. Emerging opportunities took center stage across topical conferences on the energy transition, Industry 4.0, and hydrogen safety, alongside sessions on process intensification, digitalization, data analytics, and cybersecurity.
Program highlights
Among the program highlights was the record-breaking Heat Exchangers Topical Conference, reflecting growing industry focus on energy efficiency, electrification, and system performance. Other program tracks explored distillation, refinery processing, gas utilization, and process safety.
The conference opened on April 13 with the AIChE Government and Industry Leaders (AGILE) Award keynote, presented by Steven Prusak, President and CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP. In “Leading with Agility: Driving Innovation and Resilience in a Transforming Chemicals Landscape,” Prusak discussed how organizations can navigate uncertainty through digital transformation, operational excellence, and workforce empowerment.
Programming organized by AIChE’s Fuels and Petrochemicals Division spanned topics from traditional refining and petrochemical operations to how these industries are adapting to decarbonization, energy efficiency, and digital integration.
Key themes across the Spring Meeting
Across the program, several themes emerged around how the industry is evolving. Sessions explored how companies are advancing decarbonization and energy efficiency while maintaining performance and reliability, as well as how digital tools, data analytics, and AI are being integrated into engineering workflows.
Discussions also highlighted the growing role of chemical engineers in navigating complex systems, from scaling hydrogen technologies to improving process design through intensification and smarter operations. Together, these conversations reflected a broader shift toward more connected, data-driven, and sustainable approaches across the industry.
More about the Spring program
Additional program tracks included the 38th Ethylene Producers’ Conference, which featured discussions on technology development, operational performance, and environmental considerations across the ethylene value chain. The conference kicked off with a talk by Michelle Caveness, Senior Vice President and Chief Manufacturing Officer, Eastman Chemical Company, titled “Foundations in Safety Leadership for the Future of Manufacturing".
Daily luncheon keynotes expanded on the meeting’s central themes. On Tuesday, April 14, David Hergenrether, Vice President, Product Solutions Technology Portfolio at ExxonMobil, discussed “Turning Innovation into Impact: Technology Development and Deployment,” during a fireside chat with Michelle Bryner, Senior Director, Industry Technology Alliances and Technical Publications at AIChE.
On Wednesday, Gulay Serhatkulu, Senior Vice President, Petrochemicals North America at BASF, presented “Chemical Engineering in a Changing World: When Solving the Problems Isn’t Enough,” highlighting the growing importance of communication alongside technical expertise as the industry navigates public perception, sustainability challenges, and evolving expectations.
The meeting’s technical programming was complemented by poster sessions, exhibits, and networking events, including the Spring Meeting and GCPS Happy Hour and the “Thank You to Our Members” reception.
The 22nd GCPS
Organized by AIChE’s Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), the GCPS incorporated the programming of the 60th Loss Prevention Symposium, the 28th Process Plant Safety Symposium, and the 15th Process Safety Management Mentoring Symposium. Reinforcing CCPS’s vision of “a world without process safety incidents,” “Case Histories and Lessons Learned” highlighted key events that have shaped the field over time.
The GCPS kicked off on Monday, April 13, with a plenary keynote talk by Chris Hazen, Former VP of HSE North America, Covestro LLC. Hazen discussed what it means to “Take Care of the Little Things.”
Key sessions at GCPS
Sessions throughout the program reflected both the depth and breadth of process safety practice. Core topics included process hazard analysis, risk assessment, facility siting, emergency planning and response, and asset integrity.
Sessions devoted to process safety culture and human performance were a major focus, including “Lies We Tell Ourselves – Cognitive Bias and Human Factors in Process Safety” and “Building Process Safety Culture Through Influential and Inspirational Leadership,” as well as discussions on mentoring and workforce development.
Emerging and cross-industry challenges were also explored, with sessions on the application of generative AI in process safety management and hazard analysis, as well as safety considerations in hydrogen systems, battery technologies, and industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, and semiconductors.
The GCPS’s global reach was reflected in international programming, including sessions on process safety activities in China and multilingual sessions presented in Portuguese and Spanish.
The program also marked a milestone with the 60th Loss Prevention Symposium (LPS) Celebration Session, recognizing decades of contributions to process safety knowledge and practice.
Thank you to our leaders and volunteers
AIChE offers its thanks to the Spring Meeting Program Chair — Jeff Elam, (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA) — and the Program Chair and Vice Chair of the GCPS — Jennifer Mize, (Eastman) and Nicole Loontjens (AmSty), respectively. AIChE also extends its gratitude to the meeting’s session chairs, presenters, volunteers, and sponsors.
Conference sponsors
Stay tuned for details on the 2027 AIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process Safety.
