Sounds of thundering engines roared around the perimeter of the normally tranquil Discovery Greens at Downtown Houston, Texas. From a far, the scene resembled a Formula 1 race: cars boasted corporate sponsor decals and swung through the turns passing on the inside as they jetted off towards victory. Well, it really wasn’t quite like a Formula 1 race, but for the Chemical Engineers on the scene the Shell Eco-marathon was far more exciting.

At the end of sessions Tuesday, chemical engineers gathered in the Houston convention center to check out the latest research at the poster session and enjoy cocktails and conversation. Check out these snapshots.

Patent licensing and other technology agreements can be great tools, but a bad agreement, or an ineffective agreement process, can be strategically and financially devastating to both sides of the transaction. Check out these tips to avoid falling into common traps.

Volunteers are an enormous part of what makes AIChE tick, and Monday evening outstanding volunteers were recognized for their important role. Check out the photos.

AIChE president David A. Rosenthal opened this year's events in Houston with a warm welcome to conference-goers and then turned the podium over to this year's keynote speaker, Michael Dolan, senior vice president of ExxonMobil. The joint session launched events here in Houston with a packed auditorium and record crowd.

ChEnected caught up with Joe Powell, chief scientist, chemical engineering at Shell Global Solutions US Inc., to discuss chemical engineers' future challenges in the area of fuels and petrochemicals.

This evening in Houston the 2012 AIChE Spring Meeting kicked off with an opening reception. Check out our photos!

Jay Keasling and researchers with the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have developed a new technique that boosts microbial production of renewable biodiesel fuel as much as threefold. They call this new technique a dynamic sensor-regulator system or (DSRS).

What makes erbium so important for websites like YouTube and ChEnected? The professor goggles up to explore this silvery white element and its applications as he continues his journey through the periodic table.

Check out some of the sessions and events sponsored by the Young Professionals Advisory Board that may be of interest to young professionals attending the 2012 Spring Meeting in Houston.

Two researchers, John Seinfeld, PhD, and Kirk R. Smith, MPH, PhD, whose groundbreaking work revealed the dangers of air pollution, have been awarded the 2012 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. They will also share the prize's $200,000 award.

Have you ever considered working or studying abroad? Read about one PhD student's experience in Munich, Germany.

Chevron's ambitious Gorgon liquified natural gas (LNG) project in western Australia is now under way and is expected to supply 10,000 jobs in Australia alone at its peak. When Gorgon finally ramps up production in 2014, it will produce 450,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day. Check out the video in the panel at right for an overview.

Looking for a chemical engineering scholarship? Applications for the following awards are being accepted through June 15, 2012 for AIChE student members.

Going to the Spring Meeting in Houston? Join other chemical engineers for an environmental cleanup on the Harrisburg hiking trail and leave the city even better than you found it!

The Department of Energy's vision for the future of nuclear energy will probably combine light water fission reactors along with a panoply of small modular reactors (SMRs) currently in development.

In the spirit of spring—growth and new beginnings—we'd like to check in with ChEnected readers and learn what you'd like to see more of. Take a few minutes and vote in our quick poll below.