The global problems of sustainable energy, managing water supplies, and safety will be a prime focus of AIChE's Spring 2011 Meeting, the 7th Global Congress on Process Safety, multiple topical conferences, and short courses. Close to 2,000 chemical engineers will come together at Chicago's Hyatt Regency. Highlights of the upcoming event that we'll be covering include:

The Peltzman Effect is the name for the paradoxical result that rules and regulations meant to create a safer environment can lead to more risky behavior, which offsets the beneficial impact of the original regulation. From incautious drivers to inattentive employees, it can impact all our lives—and sometimes seriously.

It's back! Welcome to the seventh comic in the Boil's Laws comic strip series, brought to ChEnected by artist and chemical engineer Rich Byrnes.

On February 23, at a meeting of the Mid-Michigan Section of AIChE, Dr. Laura Dietsche presented a view of chemical engineering education programs in the U.S. She spoke from her perspective as a team leader and commissioner at ABET, the organization that reviews and accredits engineering programs at colleges in the U.S. I came away from her talk with two strong impressions: Dr. Dietsche and her colleagues at ABET are providing a very valuable service to the profession – and on a strictly volunteer basis!

I’ve worked as a project manager for AIChE’s Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) since I graduated in 2008. The job’s been great and I’ve really enjoyed my time at AIChE, but I just recently accepted a new position as a process safety engineer.
I’m excited about my new job, but this also means that my job here at CCPS is officially up for grabs! Anyone interested?

Yes, being a professional means that you get letters after your name, and yes it may make getting that next job a little easier, but I'd like to get your opinion on something. Can I venture to say that certification doesn't necessarily make the engineer?

Recently, I had the occasion to ponder the principle of fail-safe while whirling around at breakneck speeds 20 feet off the ground. Since nothing works perfectly forever—including terrifying carnival rides—it's reassuring to know that the principle of fail-safe takes this simple fact of life into account.