STS Officer Elections Nominations Fall 2024

The STS AIChE nominating committee approved the nominees for the following officer elections: 

• Chair-Elect

  • Ida Chen

  • Douglas White 

• Treasurer

  • Miranda Gomes

  • Alberto Franco-Fuenmayor 

• Position 1 - Cont. Education

  • Katerina Kourentzi 

• Position 3 - Communication

  • Lucas von Ruff 

Chair-Elect - Ida Chen

About

Ida Chen received a PhD in Chemical Engineering from University of Michigan, and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Tianjin University, China. She is currently a R&D Fellow and Global Innovation Leader in the Dow Chemical Company. Ida’s research interests have concentrated on energy transition, sustainability, and human health. She has commercialized more than 20 innovative products in various markets including electronics, constructions, energy transition, agriculture, pharmaceutical and food processing which generated millions of innovation revenue for Dow. Currently, as a Fellow, Ida is leading the energy council and external technology council to develop a growth and collaboration strategy for the Industrial Intermediate and Infrastructure (II&I) Division, which includes Polyurethanes, Dow Industrial Solutions, and Dow Construction Chemicals. Ida has published 100+ scientific papers/presentations and currently has more than U.S. patent applications with 30 granted U.S. patents. She is an industrial advisory board member of several programs funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. In addition, Ida is a Senior Member of AIChE and she has served in leadership role of several societies, including AIChE, the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). In 2023, Ida was selected by AIChE to organize and co-chair the 2023 International Congress on Sustainability Science Engineering. In the past 2 years, Ida has also served on the executive committee of Women in Chemical Engineering Community (WIC) of AIChE to advocate for the career development of women scientists and researchers. Since 2024, she has been the Vice-Chair and Programming Chair of Sustainable Engineering Forum (SEF) of AIChE.

Vision

I would like to serve as the 2025 chair-elect for STS to work closely with Chair and committee team to enhance STS’s impact by offering a wide range of resources and educational opportunities for our members. This can include webinars, workshops, seminars, and online courses focused on chemical engineering topics. In addition, I also would like to facilitate collaboration among members and with other divisions, such as process development, environment, WIC etc. STS can organize events where members can connect, exchange ideas, and potentially find partners. Moreover, I would like to work closely with our webmaster to update and improve our STS website and use social media to promote STS and attract more engineers and scientists to join our STS or participate in STS events.

Chair-Elect - Douglas White

About

My professional journey began at Caltex Petroleum Corp in New York City, where I worked in their central engineering office. Soon after, I was transferred to Australia to lead a team in the Technical Services Department at one of Caltex’s oil refineries. After five years, I returned to New York as a Corporate Process Specialist, assisting operations at eight refineries in five countries. The experience broadened my horizons, but I eventually decided to return to school for further graduate studies, which marked a pivotal shift in my career. I transitioned into real-time application software development, with a focus on advanced control and optimization.

From there, I took on managerial roles at Metromation Inc., a software startup, before joining Setpoint Inc., a pioneering company in industrial software applications. My time at Setpoint was particularly rewarding, as I rose through the ranks to become President and Chairman of the Board – responsible for seven offices around the world. After Setpoint was acquired by Aspen Technology, I served as a Senior Vice President at AspenTech, before founding and leading my own company, Profitpoint Solutions Inc. Following a merger, I became President of MDC Technology (USA) Inc. Eventually, I moved to Emerson Process Management, as a Vice President, when Emerson purchased MDC. I currently work part time as a Principal Consultant for Emerson, focusing on the financial analysis of emerging technologies and sustainability initiatives in the process industries.

I have been very fortunate that my career has involved extensive international travel which has allowed me to work in or visit more than 50 countries – most multiple times. This has allowed me to work with chemical engineers around the globe, which has been both very interesting and a source of professional satisfaction.

My involvement with the AIChE started in my college days as a student chapter member. In 2009, I was honored with the AIChE Fuels & Petrochemicals Division Annual Award. Another standout moment in my career was delivering an invited lecture for the Fields Institute at the University of Toronto’s Department of Mathematics, titled “Industrial Applications of Optimization.” It’s not every day that a chemical engineer has the chance to address mathematicians! Over the years, I’ve published more than 50 papers on topics ranging from process modeling and control to optimization and sustainability. In addition, I’ve served as a mentor for both the AIChE STS section and for aspiring technology entrepreneurs through the Houston ION organization.

Outside of work, I’m a cyclist and sports enthusiast, and was pleased to complete the MS150 ride from Houston to Austin a few years ago. My wife Carolynne and I are proud parents of four children, and proud grandparents of six grandchildren. For over a decade, I served as an Election Judge in Harris County – which Incidentally, has more registered voters than fourteen states – where I was responsible for administering local, state and federal elections in my section of the county. I thoroughly enjoy good food and wines from around the world, perhaps to the detriment of my weight control.

My academic credentials include a BSChE from the University of Florida, a Master of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and both MA and PhD degrees from Princeton University.

Vision

The process industries are undergoing rapid transformation, presenting both challenges and opportunities for innovation. As Chemical Engineers and members of AIChE, we are at the forefront of addressing critical issues in these industries like energy transition, climate change, and sustainability. These complex challenges demand cutting-edge solutions, using advancements in technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and bioprocessing, among others. I am committed to bringing technical experts to our chapter meetings, ensuring our members are equipped with the latest insights and innovations to drive progress in this evolving industry.

Plans

As chair, my plans are to work with the other members of the executive committee to:

• Conduct regular surveys of members to make sure we are addressing your professional needs.

• Increase outreach to the many members of the AIChE in the area who are not members of the STS chapter. Our goal will be to increase their participation in our activities.

• Increase coordination with the local AIChE student chapters and provide assistance when appropriate.

• Develop a series of meeting talks on new technologies, such as AI, to help our members understand the role that these technologies are expected to play in future job requirements.

• Make sure that we are using all available media channels to communicate with our members.

Treasurer - Miranda Gomes

About

I currently work for Baker Hughes as an ISC (Integrated Supply Chain) S&OP (Sales and Operation Planning) Manager for the Chemicals division of Oil Field Services. I joined Baker Hughes in 2005 and since then, I have held multiple roles with increasing responsibility in technology development, product management, supply chain, human resources, and employee development.

In my current role, I spearhead the strategic planning process that drives almost $2 billion in global sales. My expertise lies in harmonizing sales forecasts, operational capacities, and financial budgets to ensure seamless supply chain execution. Through rigorous analytics and collaborative stakeholder engagement, I ensure that our global supply chain operates with precision, agility, and cost-effectiveness, delivering exceptional customer service while driving business growth and profitability. Also, I've been utilizing QuickBooks in both my personal and professional life, I've relied on QuickBooks to manage my finances, effortlessly tracking expenses, creating budgets, and generating financial reports.

Recently I have increased my involvement with AICHE organization. I was honored to serve on the selecting papers AIChE Program Sub-committee for the 2023 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), a premier international event showcasing cutting-edge energy solutions.

I am passionate about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and I've been a dedicated advocate (DEI) initiatives at Baker Hughes, actively contributing to the company's Women Resource Group since 2012. I served as the North American Chair for the Women Resource Group at Baker in 2014 and continue to be an active member. I have led multiple STEM events, including several years of the Sally Ride STEM event hosted at Rice. I am also an active member of the Baker Hughes Rice Recruitment team. Additionally, I've been instrumental in organizing and leading numerous STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) events, inspiring the next generation of diverse talent to pursue careers in these fields. Notably, I've had the privilege of being part of the Baker Hughes' participation in the annual HEB Children's Festival in Houston, one of the largest children's festivals in the United States. This event has allowed us to reach thousands of young minds, providing hands-on STEAM activities and workshops that ignite curiosity and creativity. From hosting Sally Ride STEM events at Rice University to mentoring students and professionals alike, I've witnessed firsthand the 

I've maintained a strong connection with Rice University, my alma mater, through various volunteer roles. Since completing my Executive MBA in 2014, I've remained actively engaged with the university community, both for [RAH] Rice Alumni Houston Committee, serving as a member and also being involved with the Rice Business School. Most notably, I played a key role in the fundraising efforts for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business. As a member of the anniversary committee, I helped mobilize alumni support, secure donations, and organize events that showcased the school's legacy and impact. I also stay involved on volunteering, recruiting and outreaching activities with University of Houston, where I got my Chemical Engineering degree from in 2002. As a proud alumna of the University of Houston, most recently, I was honored to be a featured speaker at the University of Houston's Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Chapter Personal Branding Session.

Treasurer - Alberto Franco-Fuenmayor

About

Alberto is an enthusiastic, goal-oriented, tenacious, and versatile leader with over 20 years of professional experience in leadership and technical roles with global responsibilities including over 20 years in Oil & Energy Industry with Baker Hughes comprising product development, technical support, project management, global strategic marketing, product line management and training development & delivery. Alberto has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from the University of Houston. Alberto currently holds several certifications including PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)®, PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®, ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB), ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Scrum Alliance Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) and Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®).

Alberto has proven experience in providing worldwide technical support including selecting, developing innovative solutions and optimizing chemical treatments for onshore facilities and offshore platforms to resolve light, medium, heavy, and bitumen emulsions. Alberto is especially skilled at crude oil demulsification, water clarification and reverse emulsion breaker technology. Alberto is an active member of several professional organizations including over 20 years with AIChE and a recipient of over 15 Baker Hughes high performance awards. Throughout his career, Alberto actively participates in numerous community & recruiting events and thrives in deadline driven environment.

Election Statement

I would like to work closely with every AIChE STS board member, plan and keep track of budgets to ensure that financial records are up-to-date, accurate and in compliance with AIChE applicable regulations and laws.

Position 1 - Katerina Kourentzi

About

Katerina Kourentzi is a Research Professor at the William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at University of Houston where she has been a faculty member since 2009. Her research interests and work lie in the interface of engineering, biotechnology and biomolecular engineering with a focus on the application of molecular recognition to novel diagnostic and detection technologies. She has been a co-PI/Investigator in several multi-year federally-funded projects. She has co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications. She is in the editorial Board of PLOS ONE, and a regular reviewer for various peer-reviewed journals and the National Science Foundation (NSF, Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships).

Katerina is very passionate and motivated to instill the love for science in young people. She has the privilege of actively mentoring and working together with post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students from multidisciplinary backgrounds and, routinely mentors high school students in summer research programs.

Katerina holds a Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University in Athens, Greece and a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from University of Houston. She has been a member of AIChE and the American Chemical Society since her graduate studies years. She is a member of the General Council of the International Society for Molecular Recognition (ISMR), a member of the Scientific Committee of the 2019, 2021 & 2023 ISMR Affinity Conferences and was the Chair of the Younger Investigator Awards Committee in the 2023 ISMR Affinity Conference.

Katerina was born and raised in Greece. She is an avid reader with a deep passion for lifelong learning. She is also passionate about preserving and promoting her Greek heritage. She has been an active member of the Hellenic Professional Society of Texas (HPST) for more than 20 years and a board member for the last 10 years in various roles, including Treasurer (2016-2018) and President (2019-2021). She has organized and chaired various events including professional seminars, book clubs and the HPST Scholarship annual award dinner.

Vision

With a deep passion for lifelong learning, my vision of this role is to foster and cultivate professional development and broad knowledge within the AIChE STS community. I aim to explore diverse areas of interest to chemical engineers, such as energy, health and medicine, artificial intelligence, materials, and manufacturing. Additionally, I am excited to engage actively with the other members of the community.

Position 3 - Lucas von Ruff

About

Lucas is a South Texas Section Young Professional and currently works at Waste Management (WM) as a Project Development Analyst focused on developing projects at landfills that convert landfill gas into CNG fuel. He has previously been a process equipment estimator at KBR, and worked in various roles in the Energy industry. He previously served as Young Professionals Chair for the South Texas Section. Lucas graduated from the University of Houston in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering. He is a lifelong Houston area resident.

Vision

I have enjoyed my involvement with AIChE over the years, going all the way back to my time in college and also including my involvement with the South Texas Section as the Young Professionals Chair, as well as various volunteer experiences with STS. I want to remain involved with the South Texas Section and contribute to its future success, which is why I want to run for Communications Chair for the 2025-2026 term. I hope to use my previous leadership experience within AIChE, my familiarity and connections with the South Texas Section, and my experience communicating with various stakeholders from my professional roles to help maintenance and boost attendance at South Texas Section events as well as maximize reach to South Texas Section members.