The 2024 Student Conference Awards Ceremony, held on Sunday, October 27, in San Diego, CA, acknowledged notable achievements of AIChE student members, and recognized winners of awards, scholarships, and competitions.
Student Paper Competition
16 regional winners were recognized at the 2024 AIChE ASC Student Technical Presentation Competition:
- Jackelyn Dayana Cosme Ayala, Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC)
- Camille Bryner, Brigham Young University
- Julia Casey, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Riordan Correll-Brown, University of Maryland, College Park
- Albert El Haddad, Notre Dame University – Louaize
- Rwaka Bruce Furaha, Virginia Tech
- Isabella Howley, University of British Columbia
- Emma Kim, Auburn University
- Leonardo Martins, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul
- Kaitlin McKenzie, University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Yuseong Oh, Johns Hopkins University
- Carson Plaisance, McNeese State University
- Seema N. Poojary, BMS College of Engineering
- Josiah Power, University of Iowa
- Eshaan Rawat, Stanford University
- Morgan Schuld, University of Toledo
Student Design Competition
This year’s design competition challenge was titled “Sustainable Power-to-Gas System Design: Integrating Renewable Energy Storage and Environmental Responsibility,” and a team of judges selected the top solutions in both individual and team categories.
Individual
- Lauren Petrie, Michigan State University — 1st place
- Halle Tisovic, Trine University — 2nd place
- Nolan Booth, The University of Tulsa — 3rd place
Team
In the team category, the William A. Cunningham Award for first place went to Ellison Denoso, Johnathon Kemp, Quinn Stretcher, and Tyme Taylor of the Oklahoma State University.
ChemE Jeopardy
North American Winners
- University of Iowa — 1st place
- Georgia Institute of Technology — 2nd place
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County — 3rd place
International Winners
- Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (Peru) — 1st place
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Ro Grande do Sul (PUCRS) [Brazil] — 2nd place
- Unioeste University (Brazil) — 3rd place
John J. McKetta Undergraduate Scholarship
The John J. McKetta Scholarship Award, sponsored by The Dekker Foundation, went to Rex Colvard of NC State University.
The $5,000 scholarship is presented to an incoming senior or junior chemical engineering student who is planning a career in the chemical process industries. In addition to demonstrated academic excellence, the scholarship nominee should show leadership in AIChE student chapter activities and other university activities. Learn more about this award.
Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Scholarship Awards
The Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer National Scholarship Award of $1,000 is given to chemical engineering students for their outstanding academic achievement and involvement in student chapter activities. The following 15 students were recognized:
- Matthew Albert, University of Maine
- Hunter Chunn, Mississippi State University
- Liam Horan, University of Iowa
- Charles Joseph Jouaneh, University of Rhode Island
- Sofia Nicastro, Villanova University
- Kasey Piper, Bucknell University
- Dominic Pizzarella, Northeastern University
- Hannah Reynolds, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Ryan Sedlacek, North Carolina State University
- Finlay Smith, Lafayette College
- Adam Tobin-Williams, The Johns Hopkins University
- Pavankumar Umashankar, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- Samael Vasquez, New Mexico State University
- Mariella Vitelli, Iowa State University
- Isabella Weiner, University of Notre Dame
The Donald F. Othmer Second Year Student Academic Excellence Award
This award is presented to one student in each AIChE student chapter for the highest scholastic grade point average during his or her freshman and sophomore years. This year, nearly 60 students earned the prize.
In addition, the 2024 First Year Student Recognition Award was presented to over 60 students. This award is given to student members who have been most active in their AIChE student chapter during their first year. These winners were recognized during a special awards ceremony.
ACE4G Challenge
The AIChE Student Chapters Committee is excited to announce the return of the annual ACE4G Challenge, a competition aimed at inspiring chemical engineering students and their peers to utilize their expertise to address real-world challenges in developing communities. Participants are tasked with designing practical solutions tailored to specific community needs, emphasizing sustainability and appropriate technology.
- University of Cincinnati: Sustainable Defluorination of Rural Tanzanian Groundwater — 1st place
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá: Production of Oil from Plastic Waste by Pyrolysis in Tumaco, Colombia — 2nd place
- Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat: Conversion of Rice Residue Waste into Biofuel and Hydro-slurry Using Hydrothermal Liquefaction — 3rd place
Outstanding Student Chapter Advisor Award
This award recognizes an individual’s outstanding service and leadership in guiding the activities of an AIChE student chapter in accordance with AIChE principles. This year, the honor went to two advisors:
- Julie Jessop, the Mississippi State University
- Courtney Pfluger, Northeastern University
Outstanding Student Chapter Award
This year, 41 chapters received the Outstanding Student Chapter Award.
- Ahmedabad University
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
- Brigham Young University
- Bucknell University
- Centro Universitário FEI
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Institut Teknologi Bandung
- Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember
- Iowa State University
- Michigan State University
- Mississippi State University
- MIT World Peace University
- New Jersey Institute of Technology
- NIT Rourkela
- North Carolina State University
- Northeastern University
- Notre Dame University – Louaize
- Obafemi Awolowo University
- Polytechnic Energy & Mineral (PEM) Akamigas
- Purdue University
- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology
- Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat
- Suez University
- Tecnológico de Monterrey
- Trine University
- Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología
- Universidad ICESI
- Universidade Federal do Ceará
- Universidade Federal do Paraná
- Universidad Nacional de Asunción
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá
- Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería
- University of California Berkeley
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of Delaware
- University of Florida
- University of Iowa
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
- University of Michigan
- Virginia Tech
- VIT University
Check out the album below for more photos from the student awards ceremony.