The 2019 AIChE Gala raised approximately $725,000 to support the advancement of the chemical engineering profession, including efforts to expand programs to help recruit, retain, and promote the equitable inclusion of women and other underrepresented groups in their pursuit of careers in STEM.
The film above premiered at AIChE's 2019 Gala on December 3. This film illustrates the substance and breadth of chemical engineering's contributions, and hopes to inspire young people and the public to seek a better understanding and take more interest in chemical engineering.
At the gala, AIChE honored Merck & Co., Inc., and the Procter & Gamble Company, along with those companies’ leaders, for exemplifying the good works that apply chemical engineering expertise to benefit society.
Merck & Company, represented by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth C. Frazier (left), and Procter & Gamble Company, represented by Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer David S. Taylor (right), received honors at the 2019 AIChE Gala, December 3 in New York City. Photo: Hassan Mokaddam, HMPhotoshoots
The gala also honored Jay D. Keasling, Director of the University of California, Berkeley’s Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, who received the AIChE Foundation’s Doing a World of Good Medal, a prize that salutes the achievements of an individual who has advanced the societal contributions of engineers.
Keasling was honored for his groundbreaking contributions to resource sustainability and human welfare, as well as for his commitment to fostering inclusive educational and working environments for people of all backgrounds.
In a video acceptance speech, Keasling reflected on his work in metabolic engineering — a field dominated by chemical engineers. Watch his video below.
The annual gala supports transformative priorities of the AIChE Foundation and its Doing a World of Good campaign, which focus on advancing chemical engineering and bringing that expertise to bear for the good of society. To date, the campaign has raised more than $15 million in its initial phase toward these objectives and has recently embarked on the $5 million initiative All For Good: Engineering for Inclusion, which is dedicated to attracting and retaining the best engineering talent from the classroom to the boardroom.
For more information, see the press release.