How ChE Prepared Me for Business (and How It Didn’t): Final Thoughts

November 23, 2011. By Arkan Kayihan
The ChE discipline would benefit by putting just as much focus on developing the next generation of Jack Welchs as well as Linus Paulings. What is the business case for doing so? This series has shed light on how these other skills directly affect our careers and ability to get work accomplished and even the potential impact on the financial viability of our engineering departments.

First U.S. Plant to Make Gasoline and Diesel Fuel from Natural Gas

November 18, 2011. By Neil Berman
There is an interesting question regarding the contribution that so-called “synthetic fuels” (i.e., those made from raw materials other than crude oil) could make to our motor fuels supply. Technology for several of these fuels has been commercialized, with substantial contributions from chemical engineers.

AIChE Virtual Local Session

November 17, 2011. By ChEnected Guest
You're invited to participate in this month's online meeting of the AIChE Virtual Local Section (Virtual.aiche.org). The meeting is Thursday Nov 17th, starting at 8 PM eastern US time, and you can participate via Internet connection (preferred) or phone.

How Fast Does the Siphon Flow? [Challenge Solved]

November 17, 2011. By Kylie Canales
With gas prices soaring, several friends decide to save money by siphoning gas from other people’s vehicles. They need to siphon 40L of gas in order for the group to have enough for their mopeds for the week. Sunday night, they were siphoning gas out of a large truck at the local market.

AIChE's IYC Gala—Celebrating Chemical Engineering at Gotham Hall [Photos]

November 16, 2011. By John Vasko
Tuesday night, a balmy New York City November night and one of NYC's premier reception halls—Gotham Hall—provided the perfect backdrop for AIChE's IYC Gala, one of the culminating events of an unprecedented year-long celebration of chemistry and chemical engineers.

The gala served as the primary fundraising vehicle for its new energy and water initiatives, two focal points at the heart of the International Year of Chemistry. See photos.

Wahoo Wizards: A University of Virginia Classroom Outreach Story

November 16, 2011. By ChEnected Guest
Wahoo Wizards is a community outreach program that was started eleven years ago and is supported by the AIChE student chapter at the University of Virginia. Named after the unofficial mascot of the university, this program aims to immerse K-6 students in the Charlottesville, VA, community in science and engineering.

How ChE Prepared Me for Business (and How It Didn’t): Sales

November 15, 2011. By Arkan Kayihan
We are always selling. Vendors sell goods, consultants sell advice, politicians sell themselves, demonstrators who occupy Wall Street sell their cause, entrepreneurs sell new concepts, artists sell designs, and even parents sell their standards. Regardless of the way you describe it, teaching, pitching, proposing, convincing – sales is about getting another person to do something and we all need to know how to do sales well to get things done.

The Search for Environmentally Friendly Energy: Ethanol vs. Butanol

November 14, 2011. By ChEnected Guest
The growing demand for carbon-neutral energy sources has fueled the search for biologically derived products. While the predominant liquid fuel is gasoline, the search is on for biofuel alternatives, but many pose considerable challenges. Currently ethanol is the most widely used biologically generated fuel. Ethanol, however, is difficult to transport in pipelines and also contains just 70% of the energy content of gasoline.

AIChE Mentorship Program: Call for Mentees

November 13, 2011. By David Wishnick
Mentorship is a type of networking. Networking is the deliberate and systematic process of building and maintaining relationships based on mutual benefit. Research suggests that mentorship is a critical networking tool that can be an effective way to achieve career growth as well as contribute to your own psychological wellbeing. For the second year, The Young Professional Committee (YPC) and The Fellows Committee will be collaborating, and piloting a mentor program.