BYLAWS of the PROCESS DEVELOPMENT DIVISION of AIChE

(This version was approved by PDD Executive Committee on November 11, 2024 to submit to CTOC for review and approval, as outlined in Article XI Section 4)

Article I – Name and Objectives

Section 1

The name of this organization shall be the Process Development Division of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Its official acronym is PDD.

Section 2

 The scope of this Division shall be the broad field of process development, from process conceptualization to manufacturing and include research, development, and applications. The scope includes but is not limited to process research and innovation, process improvement, process intensification, pilot plant operations and scaleup, technology transfer, manufacturing technologies, and product development.

Section 3

The objectives of the Division shall be to:

1. Provide a forum for communication and networking among Division members with interest in process development.
2. Promote exchange of ideas, concepts, know-how, and experiences in process development.
3. Keep members informed of recent, as well as potentially significant, news and technologies in process development.
4. Promote life-long learning with state-of-the-art programming at the Spring and Fall meetings, workshops, short-courses and support the AIChE Process Development Symposia.
5. Develop technical programs of topics on process development in professional meetings.
6. Coordinate exchanges with other groups within and outside of the Institute.
7. Encourage chemical engineering educators to place suitable emphasis on process development and on the development of appropriate curricular material.
8. Foster the application of chemical engineering knowledge to and fundamental research in process development.
9. Recognize achievements of members through awards.
10. Foster equity, diversity, and inclusion in the leadership, membership, and activities of the Division.

Article II – Relationship to the Institute

Section 1

The Division is under the supervision and control of the Chemical Engineering Technology Operating Council (CTOC) of AIChE.

Section 2

The Division leadership and activities will abide by the AIChE Code of Ethics; Code of Conduct; and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement. If the actions of any person(s) within Division leadership is perceived to run counter to the best interests of the Division or to AIChE, it should be brought to the attention of CTOC for possible disciplinary action.

Section 3

Division programming activities shall be carried out in cooperation with the AIChE Program Committee (Article IV, Section 8).

Section 4

The Division does not have the authority to act for or in the name of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers or to incur any financial obligations in the name of AIChE. 

Article III – Membership

Section 1

Voting Members of the Division shall be Fellows, Senior Members, or Members of AIChE who have paid the current annual Division dues (Article VII, Section 1). Delinquent members shall not be eligible to vote nor to hold office (Article VII, Section 1).

Section 2

Student Members of AIChE are Non-voting Members of the Division and can join the Division according to the AIChE student member policy.

Section 3

Non-voting Members of the Division cannot hold Division office.

Section 4

Fellows, Senior Members, or Members of AIChE aged 65 and older are considered Emeritus Members of the Division and are exempt from Division annual dues.  Emeritus Members may hold Division office and are eligible to vote.

Section 5

As members of AIChE, members of the Division are expected to abide by the AIChE Code of Ethics; Code of Conduct; and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement.

Article IV – Organization

As summarized in Figure 1, the Division is organized as follows: (a) Board of Directors (BOD, elected directors and officers) (b) Executive Committee (elected officers) (c) Leadership Team (LT, elected and appointed officers). The roles and responsibilities of each is described in sections below.

Figure 1: Organization of Process Development Division

Section 1

The activities of the Division shall be directed by a Board of Directors (BOD) consisting of the Executive Committee and 3 Directors (see Figure 1). Specifically, the BOD will have the following responsibilities:

• Develop strategic direction
• Set membership dues
• Set investment strategy
• Define the number and structure of the Division Areas
• Modify and approve the Division operating manual
• Set expenditure authorization limit for executive committee
• Approve major expenditures above the expenditure limit of the Executive committee and budget

A quorum for the BOD shall be 5 of 7 members. Votes shall be by simple majority.

Section 2

Three Directors (part of the BOD) (see Figure 1) shall be nominated from the Voting Members of the Division. The term of office for each Director is 4 years, with 2 Directors to be elected one election cycle and 1 elected in the subsequent election cycle to stagger their terms. A Director cannot hold any other elected Division office. A period of 3 years must elapse before a member can serve as a Director again.

Section 3

There shall be an Executive Committee (EC), which shall consist of the Chair, Chair Elect, Treasurer, and the most recent living Past Chair. It shall act on behalf of the BOD on items of business delegated to it by the BOD and shall manage the affairs of the Division and take such actions as are consistent with the BOD’s  delegations. The responsibilities of the EC defined by the BOD are included in the operating manual. Elections for chair elect and treasurer will be held every two years; at that time the chair elect will become the chair, chair will be past chair and the past chair will rotate off the executive committee.

A quorum for the EC shall be 3 of 4 members.   Votes shall be by simple majority.

Section 4

The day-to-day operation of the division shall be governed by the Leadership Team (LT, illustrated in Figure 1); the LT members are referred to below as leaders. The LT comprises the Executive Committee and appointed positions.  Leaders shall hold membership in the Division. Appointed positions expire after two years and may be re-appointed after the Division elections. If an appointee’s performance does not meet the expectations of the role, the BOD (as defined in Figure 1 and Section 3) can declare the appointed position vacant by a majority vote.  

The CTOC Liaison and AIChE staff advisors shall assist the LT as needed relating to interactions with the Institute but are not voting members.

Section 5.

The Chair is the head of the Division and is Chair of the BOD, EC, and LT. The Chair Elect shall perform the duties of the Chair in the latter’s absence or inability to serve. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, the Chair Elect shall serve as the head of the Division for the remainder of the previous Chair’s term and their full elected term. If a vacancy occurs in any of the other positions on the BOD, the BOD will vote to appoint a replacement to fill the unexpired term.

Section 6.

The Chair Elect shall be responsible for the programming and long-term planning activities (as specified in Section 7.2 of this Article) of the Division. The Directors will participate in planning activities and may serve as committee chairs or be given other roles as appointed by the Chair.

Section 7.1

The Chair shall

• Develop the Division in accordance with the Division objectives.
• Provide leadership and management for the Division.
• Serve as the presiding head for all Division and Executive Committee meetings.
• Appoint task force(s) for special projects.
• Coordinate Area activities through the leadership of the Executive Committee.
• Issue announcements of all meetings or delegate the duty to another PDD Executive Committee member.

Section 7.2

The Chair-Elect shall

• Formulate long-term plans and strategic activities for the Division.
• Implement projects in coordination with the Chair.
• Serve as the Division liaison to the Institute.
• Keep records of the proceedings of the Division.

Section 7.3

The Treasurer shall

• Handle and record the collection and disbursement of funds as authorized by the BOD.
• Prepare a proposed budget for the upcoming year.
• Submit a financial report to the division at the Spring and Fall meetings.
• Direct the Division investments as specified by BOD.

Section 8

The roles and responsibilities of appointed positions will be specified in the operating manual.

Section 9

The Division will have one or more programming Areas, as defined by the Division BOD.  The structure of the Areas will be defined in the operating manual.

Section 10

Committees may be formed at the discretion of the Executive Committee. Examples include Awards committee, Outreach committee, Web committee, and Newsletter committee.  Committee chairs will be appointed by the Division Chair with the approval of the Executive Committee.  Diversity should be considered in the appointment of subcommittee leaders and members.  Committees will be reviewed annually by the Executive Committee. Any underperforming appointed positions may be recommended by the Chair for removal to the BOD.  

Article V – Meetings

Section 1

There shall be at least one general meeting of the Division during the Annual and Spring Meetings of the Institute.  This will be open to all members and prospective members.

Section 2

The Chair of the Division shall preside at all meetings of the BOD. In the absence of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, Past Chair, Treasurer, in that order, shall preside. Any member of the BOD who fails to attend three consecutive BOD meetings shall be considered to have tendered their resignation from the BOD; however, such a resignation shall be effective only upon acceptance by a majority of BOD, which shall have taken into account any extenuating circumstances.

Section 3

Notices will be sent to the membership for general Division meetings called at any time other than the Annual and Spring Meeting.

Section 4

 Membership votes will be done by AIChE electronically.

 Section 5

The order of business for meetings of the Division shall be determined by the presiding officer.

Section 6

BOD Meetings

Section 6.1

The BOD shall meet at least once each year. Meetings (including conference-call type meetings) may be called by the Chair at such places and times as they deem advisable. Meetings may also be called at the request of a majority of the members of the Division BOD. Notices of all meetings will be sent to the Division BOD at least two weeks in advance.

Section 6.2

Division BOD members should strive to attend meetings and participate in Division leadership to the maximum extent possible. 

Article VI – Elections

Section 1

Elections of officers and directors who are near the completion of their terms (as specified in Article IV, Section 3) shall be conducted by AIChE membership services. Ballots shall be sent to all Division members who are eligible to vote (as specified in Article III), on or about October 1, by AIChE Member Services.  Ballots shall include notice of the date by which they must be received or cast in order to be counted, and that date shall be no earlier than 3 weeks after the ballots are made available and no later than eight weeks. Ballots received or cast after this date shall not be counted.  Ballots shall also include information on how votes may be cast, which may include in person, by mail, or by other electronic communication means via appropriate methods using current technology.  Receipt and tabulation of the votes shall be conducted by AIChE Member Services. The count shall be certified to the Executive Committee in writing by AIChE Member Services. Election shall be by a plurality of those voting.

Section 2

At the Spring meeting each year, a Nominating Committee shall be formed from Executive Committee members not up for re-election, with the current Division Chair serving as its Chair. Any Division members in good standing are eligible for self-nomination via notification to the current Division Chair.

Section 3

Delinquent members (as specified in Article VII, Section 1) shall not be eligible to vote nor to hold office.

Section 4

No member shall be eligible for election to more than one Division office at one time.

Section 5

The newly elected officers shall take office at the subsequent Fall Annual AIChE Meeting.

Section 6

If an elected position is vacant (delinquency not corrected in 30 days, resignation, etc.), the BOD will vote to appoint a replacement to fill the unexpired term.

Article VII – Dues and Finances

Section 1

Annual dues shall be determined by the Division BOD in accordance with policies of CTOC. They shall be payable with the annual dues or by January 1 to AIChE member services. Those members who continue to be delinquent on the following January 1 shall be dropped from the rolls of the Division.

Section 2

The dues shall be changed in amount only by affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total voting membership of the Division BOD. This vote may be taken at a regular meeting or by ballot sent to all Division BOD members.

Section 3

The Division BOD shall make all other regulations regarding payment of dues and shall provide for a bi-annual review (during Spring and Fall meeting) of the Division’s financial accounts.

Section 4

The Division BOD shall review in their last meeting of the year the expenditures submitted for the upcoming year by the Treasurer.

Section 5

The investment of Division funds will be determined by majority vote of the BOD.  The treasurer will be responsible for these investments.

Article VIII – Awards Process

Section 1

The Chair of the Division shall appoint a Chair of the PDD Awards Committee, subject to approval by the Division Executive Committee.  The Chair of the Awards Committee is responsible for leading the award nomination, selection, and delivery processes.

Section 2

The Awards Committee composition shall be approved by the Chair of the Division. Diversity shall be one consideration in the committee composition.

Section 3

A list of approved Division awards, along with the descriptions and selection criteria, shall be maintained on the Division webpage.  Award selection criteria and nomination processes for current awards shall also be described on the Division webpage.

Section 4

Division members can bring proposals for additional Division awards before the Executive Committee for consideration at the Annual or Spring meeting. The Executive Committee shall set criteria for additional awards consistent with any guidance from CTOC. Any additional awards require approval from the Executive Committee.

Section 5

Equity and Diversity should be considerations in the overall balance of awards granted.

Article IX – Duration, Dissolution, and Residue Funds

Section 1

The Division has been approved by CTOC without limit on duration. The Division’s sustainability will be monitored and assessed by the BOD.   If the BOD determines that the Division is no longer viable, it may petition CTOC to dissolve the Division.  Sponsors of the Division shall be notified at the earliest possible date of the dissolution, preferably a year in advance.

Section 2

Upon termination of the Division, unrestricted residual funds shall be transferred to AIChE and restricted residual funds shall be transferred back to the Sponsors.  Disposition of tangible property shall be in accordance with any applicable contractual arrangements of the parties where AIChE or the Division does not hold a property interest in property subject to disposition.

Article X – General Provisions

Section 1

The decision of the Division Executive Committee shall be final on any questions concerning the interpretation of the bylaws, subject to the jurisdiction of CTOC of the Institute.

Section 2

Procedures that are not covered in these bylaws, particularly those that may change on a frequent basis, such as the procedure used to send and receive ballots, award descriptions and processes, or standing subcommittee descriptions, may be recorded in the Division Operating Manual.

Section 3

In all respects not specifically covered by these bylaws or the Division Operating Manual, the general rule of the Institute governing the conduct of the Division shall apply with equal force as if included in these bylaws.

Section 4

In the deciding of procedural matters not otherwise covered in the bylaws, the most recent issue of The Modern Rules of Order by Donald A. Tortorice shall prevail.

Article XI – Amendments

Section 1

These Bylaws shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee of the Division not less than every five years and any proposed revisions and/or amendments presented to the BOD.  Amendments can also be proposed by Division members at a Division meeting or by petition of ten percent of the Voting Members of the Division sent to the Division Executive Committee.  All proposed amendments of these bylaws shall be reduced to writing.  The Division Executive Committee will send the proposed amendments to CTOC for pre-approval.  If CTOC has any recommended revisions, they will be returned to the Division Executive Committee for further action and re-submission to CTOC to complete the pre-approval process.

Section 2

A proposed amendment and ballot shall be sent to all Division members who are eligible to vote (as specified in Article III) following the procedures outlined in Article V, Section 4. Ballots shall be returned to AIChE Member Services by a specified deadline at least 3 weeks after the ballots are made available and no later than eight weeks. Ballots received after this deadline shall not be counted. Once the deadline is reached, AIChE Member Services will tabulate the ballots and certify the results to the Division Executive Committee. Approval of the amendment requires a two-thirds affirmative vote of ballots cast.  The amendment shall then be submitted to CTOC for final approval and shall become an effective part of the bylaws upon its approval.

Section 3.

The most recent version of the bylaws will be made publicly available to all members of AIChE on the Division webpage.

Section 4. 

A record will be kept of revisions and amendments made to the bylaws.

Revision #	Revision General Description	Specific Changes Made	Date of Revision	Division Membership Approval Date	CTOC Approval Date
1	Original Bylaws	N/A	November 2002
2	By laws revised	Inclusion of : Board of Directors and term limits Lay out of organizational structure	November 2024	March 1, 2025	March 18, 2025