AIChE celebrated the contributions of the BASF Corporation and Celanese Corporation and their leaders, and lauded the good works of chemical engineers and their employers, at the 2024 AIChE Gala, held Dec. 4 in New York City.
Honoring BASF’s commitment to sustainability and inclusion
The BASF Corporation — the North American affiliate of BASF SE, a multinational producer of chemicals, materials, surface technologies, and solutions for industry, nutrition, personal care, and agriculture — was recognized for operational excellence and for improving health, safety, and environmental performance for a more-sustainable future. The award for BASF Corporation was accepted by Michael Heinz, Chairman of BASF Corporation and a member of the Board of Directors of BASF SE.
In his remarks at the gala, Heinz reflected on the values that BASF shares with AIChE, in particular those related to safety and an inclusive future workforce. “BASF is very much committed to, on the one hand, helping young people feel safe and included in a society that needs their talents. And, at the same time, helping these young people to bring their skills to the chemical industry — inspiring the next generation of engineers, scientists, and problem solvers that the world needs,” Heinz said.
Celebrating Celanese’s leadership in diversity and STEM advocacy
Also honored at the gala was Celanese Corporation, a global leader in chemistry and specialty materials. Celanese was recognized for promoting women in leadership roles, supporting the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals, and for sustainability initiatives that have benefitted society.
Lori J. Ryerkerk, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Celanese Corporation, accepted the honor on behalf of Celanese. “The ability to provide STEM opportunities to a more diverse set of future leaders is something that both Celanese and I are passionate about,” said Ryerkerk. “That’s why Celanese partners with AIChE. There’s no better investment we can make than owning our collective responsibility for inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals, who will continue to change the world for the better.”
Recognizing Stephanopoulos for groundbreaking contributions to chemical engineering
Also at the gala, AIChE’s Doing a World of Good medal was presented to Gregory Stephanopoulos, the Willard Henry Dow Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stephanopoulos was cited for his groundbreaking contributions in metabolic and biochemical engineering, which are paving the way for improvements in healthcare, renewable chemicals, and the sustainable production of biofuels and other cost-efficient fuels to help reduce industry’s carbon footprint.
Stephanopoulos, who is also a founder of AIChE’s Society for Biological Engineering (SBE), expressed gratitude for the gala honor, and reflected on his involvement with SBE as an important milestone and a valuable contribution to the chemical engineering profession. “Fulfilling the ‘need to belong’ should be emphasized more when we recruit new members [for organizations like AIChE and SBE],” he said. “Nurturing the intellectual core of the discipline and applying it to ‘doing a world of good’ is an intangible member benefit critical to us achieving our personal and professional goals.”
The gala continues to inspire the power of good
Organized around the theme “Inspiring the Power of Good,” the 2024 AIChE Gala raised approximately $450,000 to underwrite programs designed to advance the chemical engineering profession by attracting and retaining diverse talent, and by investing in research that drives innovation for the benefit of society.
Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, Chair of the AIChE Foundation Board of Trustees and Distinguished Professor at the Univ. of California, Davis, said, “As we approach a decade of Doing a World of Good, the AIChE Foundation has galvanized supporters to invest more than $64 million to ‘look forward, to think bigger, and to power the future.’”
The Gala chairs
The 2024 Gala’s chairs were Victoria Brifo, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Air Products; Vanessa Dupuis, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Celanese Corporation; Michael Finelli, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer and Chief North America Officer, Syensqo; Erin Kane, President and Chief Executive Officer, AdvanSix Inc.; and John Y. Televantos, Senior Partner at Arsenal Capital Partners.
For more information about AIChE’s 2024 Gala, visit www.aiche.org/giving.