With support from the AIChE Foundation, CEP launched its first-ever CEP Photo Contest on April 12, inviting AIChE members to submit images showcasing the people, places, practices, and impact of chemical engineering.
Nearly 100 photographs arrived from around the world, ranging from industrial landscapes and colorful microscopic images to engineers working in laboratories and plants. Together, they offered a look at the breadth of the profession and the people behind it.
CEP staff selected 30 finalists across five categories, and the public cast more than 1,500 votes to choose the winners. Four photographers claimed the five category awards, with one also earning the contest’s grand prize. Take a look at the winners in each category below.
The Faces of Chemical Engineering and Grand Prize Winner
Success Eghosa Aiwekhoe
University of Massachusetts Amherst
“Building a more sustainable future, one molecule at a time.”
Aiwekhoe’s image received 551 votes, earning both the category award and grand prize. A chemical engineering PhD candidate, he develops porous materials for applications including catalysis, carbon dioxide capture, and rare earth element adsorption.
The Big Picture: Landscapes and Industrial Vistas
Shikhar Gupta
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology
“A view of the plant at night. The glowing lights, pipes, and tall structures aren’t just metal and machines. They are the result of thousands of ideas, calculations and hours of work.”
Gupta won this category and A Day in the Life. A third-year chemical engineering student, he is interested in sustainability and developing useful products from agricultural waste. He also earned first place in Chem-E-Jeopardy at a 2026 AIChE Student Regional Conference and an AIChE First Year Student Recognition Award, and has held student leadership roles with AIChE and IIChE.
Discovery in the Lab
Chidinma Nwoye
University of Arkansas
“Liquid-crystal droplets formed from the self-assembly of Sunset Yellow — a common food dye — and poly-L-lysine in water. Under polarized light, their internal molecular organization produces this striking clover-like optical texture.”
Nwoye’s photograph reveals the striking patterns of liquid-crystal droplets formed from Sunset Yellow, a common food dye, and poly-L-lysine in water. Under polarized light, their molecular organization creates a clover-like appearance. A chemical engineering PhD student in the Nayani Lab, Nwoye studies molecular self-assembly and the relationships between structure and properties in soft materials.
A Day in the Life
Shikhar Gupta
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology
“A view of a huge industrial vessel, while a worker carefully works on it from a scaffold. Chemical engineering is not only about formulas and factories, but also about building powerful systems that keep the modern world running through human skill and innovation.”
The Heart of the Plant
Scott Berger
Scott Berger and Associates, LLC
“The earliest chemical engineers were beer and wine makers. Wine production at Chianti Fattoria Santo Stefano merges ancient barrel-making craftsmanship with modern stainless-steel fittings and blown glass pressure relief devices.”
Berger found his winning perspective in a wine cellar at Chianti Fattoria Santo Stefano. His photograph captures traditional wooden barrels fitted with modern stainless-steel hardware and blown-glass pressure relief devices, connecting winemaking craftsmanship with engineering practice. An AIChE Fellow and former Executive Director of the Center for Chemical Process Safety, Berger now divides his time between process safety consulting, travel, and family.
From the camera to Minneapolis
Look for these winning photographs alongside the other finalist images throughout the conference venue at the 2026 AIChE Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, November 8–12.
The contest was made possible by AIChE Foundation donors through the Doing a World of Good Annual Fund.
