With support from the AIChE Foundation, AIChE and its Young Professional Committee (YPC) are honoring 35 notable young professionals under the age of 35 based on achievements in seven categories: bioengineering, chemicals, energy, innovation, educations, leadership, and safety. You can learn more about the award here.
The winners in all seven categories were announced in the August 2017 issue of CEP Magazine. Here on ChEnected, we’re featuring winner interviews conducted by YPC. This week, we'll be featuring winners in the category of safety. Winners are presented below in alphabetical order, by last name. Or you can click on their names in the list below to go directly to their interview. Be sure to congratulate the winners by sharing on social media with the hashtag #AIChE35Under35.
Bala "Chaitanya" Gottimukkala, 34:
Ensuring operators' safe return home
Chaitanya is a senior risk engineer at RISKbytes Inc where he identifies risk hazards and provides strategic risk-based decision-making advice for onshore and offshore projects. He also assesses the consequences of major accident hazards and develops plans and processes to ensure adequate mitigative measures. Chaitanya has been a senior AIChE member since 2010 and is active in YPC and the South Texas Section (STS) Chapter, where he was named 2016 Young Chemical Engineer of the Year.
AIChE YPC: Chemical engineering is a diverse field. How did you get involved in your specialty?
Chaitanya Gottimukkala: During my high school days in India, a major incident occurred from an explosion resulting from LPG leak at a refinery in my hometown, which killed over twenty people. It rained that day and I noticed black stains on my white shirt, which resulted in my curiosity in chemistry, refinery, and incidents. However, I could not connect the dots until I finished my undergraduate degree. Since then, I have always wanted to pursue a career in safety. So, after completing my Master's degree, in my first job at CB&I, I gladly accepted an opportunity to scribe a PHA on a refinery project. This was the first time I was involved in process safety and marked the beginning of my career.
AIChE YPC: What professional achievement are you most proud of?
CG: Building a career in process safety and achieving the credentials of a Professional Engineer (P.E.) are the professional achievements that I'm most proud of as of now.
AIChE YPC: What is a challenge you overcame and how did you overcome it?
CG: In my experience, I have sometimes noticed a misconception floating around that project costs have increased due to the addition of process safety measures. Instead of simply considering this a problem, I took this as an opportunity to educate the concerned person/team that the cost of investing reasonably in adequate safeguards is significantly lower compared to a major accident resulting in fatalities, property and/or environmental damages later, if those safety measures considered to be ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practical) were not implemented.
AIChE YPC: What do you enjoy most about your job?
CG: As I mentioned above, safety is my passion and I am glad to be pursuing a career in a field that I thoroughly enjoy. I follow the mantra my mentor advised, "The plant operator's safe return home should be the highest priority during the design, construction, and operation of a plant."
AIChE YPC: What lesson do you wish you would have learned sooner?
CG: There are two things I wish I could have known and learned sooner. One, getting exposure to more process safety coursework during my undergraduate and graduate years. Two, gaining plant operating experience early on in my career.
AIChE YPC: What are your goals for the future?
CG: I would like to continue gaining experience in various aspects of technical safety as well as personnel safety. Gaining some field experience is next on my agenda, which would allow me to become a more well-rounded engineer. This would enhance my ability to integrate design safety into operational safety. I would like to continue my involvement with AIChE and CCPS as a way of giving back to the community.
Fun facts about Chaitanya
- What is your favorite snack food? Nuts and seeds
- What is your favorite book? Tools of the Titans by Tim Ferriss
- What is the last online purchase you made? Diapers for my 1 year old :-)
- If you were not a chemical engineer, what would you be? Apart from being a chemical engineer, I'm pursuing my interests in nutrition and fitness.
The plant operator's safe return home should be the highest priority during the design, construction, and operation of a plant.
Learn more about Chaitanya in CEP Magazine.
Nastassja Lewinski, 33:
Balancing teaching and research
Nastassja is an assistant professor of chemical and life science engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. She serves as faculty advisor to the student chapter and is the VCU faculty representative in the Tidewater Virginia Local Section. Nastassja is also active in the Sustainable Engineering Forum. Among her awards are the Leenaards Nested Research Projects Prix (2014), a NNEMS Fellowship with the U.S. EPA (2008), and an NSF Graduate Fellowship (2008).
AIChE YPC: What inspired you to pursue chemical engineering?
Nastassja Lewinski: I chose to pursue chemical engineering because it encompasses my lifelong interests in chemistry and math.
AIChE YPC: Chemical engineering is a diverse field. How did you get involved in your specialty?
NL: During my studies, several people reinforced my interest in nanotechnology and safety by design. My Ph.D. advisor, Rebekah Drezek, cultivated my interest in nanomedicine. The WISE program sponsored by AIChE and my advisor, Dave Gushee, encouraged my engagement in science policy. Vicki Colvin and Kristen Kulinowski drew my attention to aquatic toxicology and industrial hygiene.
AIChE YPC: What professional achievement are you most proud of?
NL: My postdoctoral fellowship in Lausanne, Switzerland, provided the opportunity not only to collaborate with fellow researchers in the institute who spoke English, but also work with non-English speaking staff. I learned how people outside the United States conduct research and how to work in a non-English speaking environment professionally.
AIChE YPC: What is the most challenging part of your job?
NL: The most challenging part of being a university professor is balancing research and teaching. Besides advancing my own research program, motivating and supporting both the students in my lab and also the students in my courses consumes a good portion of my time.
AIChE YPC: What do you enjoy most about your job?
NL: I enjoy mentoring students and watching them grow.
AIChE YPC: What are your goals for the future?
NL: To continue to develop my research program and seek collaboration with colleagues in other disciplines and at other institutions.
Fun facts about Nastassja
- What was the first concert you attended? An orchestra concert performed by students from the sister high school of my elementary school. This experience sparked my interest in the cello, which I later chose to learn how to play in middle school.
- Who do you admire most? My mother. She possesses an inner strength that I aspire to in myself.
- What is your favorite book? The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. He gives a very personable account of his life, self made career, and interesting approach to daily self-improvement.
I enjoy mentoring students and watching them grow.
Learn more about Nastassja in CEP Magazine.
Ankur Pariyani, 32:
Reducing process risks in advance of catastrophic events
Ankur is co-founder and chief innovation officer at Near-Miss Management (NMM), which provides first-of-its-kind early risk detection software. He also serves as a guest editor for a special issue of the Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries. Ankur is a senior member of AIChE and an active contributor to AIChE publications, conference, and other events. He is also the recipient of the Chemical Weekly Awards (second prize) from the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers for the best research paper published in a high impact factor international journal by an undergraduate chemical engineering student in 2006.
AIChE YPC: What professional achievement are you most proud of?
Ankur Pariyani: The acceptance of my first paper in Computers and Chemical Engineering when I was in my senior year.
AIChE YPC: What personal achievement are you most proud of?
AP: My first half marathon — seemed like an unattainable task to me (before I started running).
AIChE YPC: What is the most challenging part of your job?
AP: My greatest work challenge is introducing new capabilities in the product without sacrificing its simplicity.
AIChE YPC: What do you enjoy most about your job?
AP: Opportunities to solve tough problems through the latest technologies.
AIChE YPC: What lesson do you wish you would have learned sooner?
AP: To respond instead of reacting in unexpected or uncertain situations.
AIChE YPC: What are your goals for the future?
AP: To make the process industry a safer place through technological innovation.
Fun Facts About Ankur
- What app do you use the most? Slack
- What is your favorite snack food? Cashew
- What is your favorite book? The Happiness Hypothesis
- If you were not a chemical engineer, what would you be? An architect
My greatest work challenge is introducing new capabilities in the product without sacrificing its simplicity.
Learn more about Ankur in CEP Magazine.
Kendall Werts, 32:
Solving problems the right way
Kendall works in the safety and health compliance group of Linde Gas, where she ensures that all North and South American plants are compliant with regulatory and corporate safety and health programs. She is an active AIChE member and serves as a Technical Steering Committee member for the Center for Chemical Process Safety. In addition, Kendall serves as vice president and chair for the Loss Prevention Committee, where she organizes the 11a track at the Global Congress on Process Safety. Among her awards is the Linde Engineering Mentorship Program Award.
AIChE YPC: Chemical engineering is a diverse field. How did you get involved in your specialty?
Kendall Werts: I started as an intern and found that I liked it. Internships are so important, not only for creating better opportunities for full time jobs when you graduate, but also just so you know whether or not you're going to like the job, the industry, and the company culture.
AIChE YPC: What personal achievement are you most proud of?
KW: My wonderful family: my awesome husband who supported me through job and life changes and my happy son who likes to dance and feed ducks.
AIChE YPC: What is the most challenging part of your job?
KW: Communication. It's challenging to make sure everyone understands the strategy and importance of process safety. It is not just a box to check, but it is a powerful tool that can make operations better and more efficient. One of my main goals since being at Linde is the try to get people to understand that process safety should not be seen as something that causes them problems, but something that can be used to solve problems.
AIChE YPC: What do you enjoy most about your job?
KW: I like solving problems. We have so many plants across North and South America that are constantly trying to make improvements that it seems like there is always a new problem to solve. I like getting that phone call and working with the plant to figure out what the issue is and how to solve it.
AIChE YPC: What lesson do you wish you would have learned sooner?
KW: It is always better to read and know the source yourself than to trust what someone else tells you. Just because the information has been passed down and repeated, does not mean it is correct. Go look up the code, standard, or spec and read it yourself! It takes a little work, but it is sometimes surprising what you will find. Similarly, I often run into the "But we've always done it this way" argument. Just because it's always been done one way does not mean it is correct or safe. New information comes to light all the time, and because of that, codes and standards are updated all the time. Don't get stuck in a rut. Make sure you have an educated, fresh perspective.
Fun facts about Kendall
- What app do you use the most? Reddit is Fun. I will admit that I am a Reddit addict.
- Who do you admire most? All the women who came before me in my field. While I am still sometimes the only woman in the room, I try to remember that doing my job as a woman has been made much easier because of the women who have come before me. Because of this, I feel responsible to continue to pave the way for the many women who will come after me.
- What is your favorite snack food? Dark chocolate
- If you were not a chemical engineer, what would you be? I would probably be a software engineer. I like to code and tend to find excuses to do it for my job, but I also like to do it for fun at home.
Just because it's always been done one way does not mean it is correct or safe.
Learn more about Kendall in CEP Magazine.
Doing a World of Good
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