Meet the Innovators: Transforming the Future through Chemical Engineering

Innovation has been, and will continue to be central to making large contributions to human development and for solving global problems.  This session will feature invited plenary talks from innovators who will present the role of chemical engineering innovation in transforming the world and assuring a sustainable future for the earth, as well as the role of society, corporations and governments in resourcing innovation.  These talks will be followed by a panel discussion with audience participation.

Session Chairs:

• Venkat R. Bhethanabotla, University of South Florida
• Richard B. Dickinson, NSF and University of Florida

Speakers Include:

• Rakesh Agrawal, Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University
• Jay D. Keasling, Professor, University of California, Berkeley and Senior Faculty Scientist,  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• Christine E. Schmidt, PhD, Professor, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Chair & Department Chair, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida
  
   

Supported by the generous donors of the AIChE® Foundation

Session Schedule:

Abstracts

Chemical Engineering Innovations for a Renewable Economy

Rakesh Agrawal, Purdue University

        Chemical engineering evolved in the twentieth century with rise in the use of fossil resources and myriad of products derived from then. An array of these products required great innovations and made huge impact on the human race, and such examples include urea, transportation fuels, polymers, water purification chemicals, etc. Going forward as we make transition from fossil resources to renewable resources such as solar energy, wind and sustainably available biomass, we again have great opportunities for innovation that would not only make great impact but redefine chemical engineering. My talk will focus on my own experiences with challenges and opportunities presented to us as chemical engineers. I will share an overall perspective on the use of biomass as sustainable source of carbon, harvesting solar energy in conjunction with growing food without any land constraint, and creating solution processed solar cells that utilize chemical engineering principles along with knowledge from other engineering disciplines.