Suffolk Reporter

Students from the Stony Brook chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) participated in the 2024 AIChE Annual Student Conference held in San Diego. The event provided an opportunity for students to meet and compete with peers from other institutions, while faculty members from Stony Brook served as judges for various competitions.

AIChE aims to broaden students' understanding of opportunities within chemical engineering and foster interest among those in the chemical and molecular engineering program. "I think these conferences are important because they offer opportunities for students to sort of learn on their own," said William Chen, president of AIChE. "It’s really great for people who really want to learn about chemical engineering."

The conference took place from October 25 to 28, attracting participants from over 200 schools. It sought to bring together both students and industry professionals through social events and competitive activities. Steve Nitodas, assistant professor of practice in Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook, highlighted the practical experience gained by students: "The students get to work towards a project... It's like working in a lab."

Participants engaged in events such as ChemE Car, ChemE Sports, and research presentations. In ChemE Car competitions, teams design vehicles powered by chemical reactions, which includes a poster presentation component. ChemE Sports features a computer simulation mimicking a gas treating plant where competitors maintain system states.

Julia Randazzo, treasurer of AIChE, expressed enthusiasm for ChemE Sports: "I thought ChemE Sports would be really cool... It’s also a great problem-solving activity." Students also presented independent research projects; Mary Calandra earned second place in the Catalysis category.

"AIChE provides me with the opportunity to present my research at national and regional conferences," said Calandra after her success at the event.

Conferences like these offer numerous benefits including networking with industry leaders. Randazzo noted that such events encourage confidence: "You need to be able to be confident... I find that conferences are a great opportunity."

Looking ahead, AIChE's Stony Brook chapter is focused on securing funding for new car mechanisms for future competitions. They are preparing for an upcoming regional competition at Lehigh University this spring.

— Angelina Livigni