We are pleased to announce the Career Workshop Schedule for the 2020 Annual Student Conference. This year's program has been organized into 4 tracks to help students decide which sessions they would like to attend.

Please find information on each of the workshops below.

Note: There will be a special Leadership Panel discussion happening from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM PST during the workshop program. Click here for more information about this year’s Leadership Panel.

Track IV: Getting Started in Your Career I

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM PST: The First Five Years: A Panel on Early Stage Career Decisions

Presented by: Austin S. Lin, AIChE Management Division

We've worked so hard to graduate, but we soon learn that the finish line is really just the starting line of the next phase of our careers. Decisions we make in the first five years of our career can be a mix of success and failures but above all, they are critical learning experiences to help us decide what else to learn, where else to go from here. The First Five Years will feature a panel of professionals in their first few years out in the world, whether it's in academia, industry, or another domain. We will focus on how they prepared themselves for life after the degree and share their ups and downs in the process.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM PST: The Path to Becoming a Licensed Professional Engineer

Presented by: Joseph Cramer, Program Development and William Parrish, Licensing and Professional Development

This presentation discusses how becoming a Professional Engineer (PE) can enhance a chemical engineer’s career. Students learn about the PE licensure process and the two exams required to become licensed. The Computer Based Testing (CBT) exam content for both the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams are described. The presentation utilizes embedded videos of young PEs and stresses the value of taking the FE exam before, or shortly after, graduation. It aims to demystify the FE/PE process. The workshop leaders are Joe Cramer and Bill Parrish who are chemical engineering PE's and active members of the AIChE’s Licensing and Professional Development Committee as well as the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying’s Chemical PE Exam Committee. Both have also served on AIChE’s Career and Educational Operating Council which oversees licensing for AIChE. The workshop encourages Q&A and interaction with attendees.

12:00 PM - 12:45 PM: Transitioning to Your First Job in Industry

Presented by: Victoria Muir, Young Professionals Committee

What does the typical day of an engineer look like in different positions and industries? How can AIChE help me land a job and excel in my first few years out of college? How do I approach relocating to a new place for a job? How do I start saving money and planning for retirement? Join the Young Professionals Committee (YPC) for a discussion on transitioning from college to your first industry job. This session will feature a short presentation followed by Q&A with a panel of YPC members from various industry backgrounds. Discussion topics will include job hunting, relocating for a job, budgeting, benefits packages, student debt, and planning for retirement. YPC members will also discuss what they wish they knew when starting their first jobs.

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM: Time Management and Work-Life Balance in ChemE Careers

Presented by: Victoria Muir, Young Professionals Committee

No matter what ChemE career path you take after graduation, your schedule will be busy. One trick to a happy and successful ChemE career is to work smarter, not harder. Join the Young Professionals Committee (YPC) for a discussion on time management and work-life balance in ChemE careers. This session will feature YPC members in various careers (academia, industry, government, etc.) discussing tips and tricks for living an organized, happy lifestyle as a ChemE. YPC members will discuss tips for managing time during the workday (including prioritizing tasks, learning to say “no”, and getting an early start) and creating a healthy work-life balance (including getting enough sleep, practicing healthy eating and exercise, and engaging in hobbies outside of your career). This session will also cover resources to use for more tips on time management, including resources available through AIChE membership.

Track V: Getting Started in Your Career II

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM PST: Applying to Graduate School and Research Fellowships

Presented by: Victoria Muir and Colin Young, Young Professionals Committee

Why should you pursue a graduate degree? What should you consider when applying to graduate school? How to you ace your fellowship and graduate program applications? How can AIChE help you prepare for graduate school and excel as a graduate student as you pursue your degree? Members of AIChE’s Young Professionals Committee (YPC) will be discussing answers to all these questions and more. Join us for a great session discussing everything you need to consider before you make your decision and how to excel once you’re there.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM PST: The Life of a Manager: A Panel Discussion

Presented by: Austin S. Lin, AIChE Management Division

The term "manager" has many connotations these days, but what does a day in the life of a manager actually involve? How much of it is technically driven? How much of it is polishing leadership skills in the face of organizational challenges? How much of it is celebrating with a winning team? The reality, is it's a mix of all of the above with no two managerial roles alike. This panel discussion will start with a high level overview of managerial career tracks, then feature a panel of engineering managers of varying experience levels across different industries. Together we'll discuss common denominators in the managerial profession regardless of industry, its real life obstacles, and which challenges school prepared them for (and which ones it didn't).

12:00 PM - 12:45 PM: Persistence and the art of managing rejection

Presented by: Alaina Levine, Quantum Success Solutions

We are all told "no" many, many times in our careers and professional lives. With every "no" we receive, we have the chance to grow sharper and stronger and develop skills in persistence. Once we recognize that often a "no" means "no" for now and not forever, we can craft a plan to move beyond the "no". In this webinar, we will discuss the elements of persistence- why to have it, how to demonstrate it, and how it will help you achieve greater success in your field and profession and advance your career. You will emerge with a step-by-step action plan to navigate rejection and turn a "no" into an opportunity for triumph for all parties.

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM: Optimize Your Internship - How to leverage all the opportunities your internship offers you to advance in your career

Presented by: Alaina Levine, Quantum Success Solutions

Discover the many actions you can take to optimize your internship experience to learn and develop new skills, expand your network, gain vital insight about industry and the working world, experience the culture and language of the organization in which you are interning, and craft an important bridge to advancing your career. In this session, learn how to leverage the many experiences you can partake of during your internship (spoiler alert: there are more than you realize, even if your internship is a virtual one!) to launch Your Unicorn Career.

Track VI: Specialty Areas in Chemical Engineering

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM PST: Green Collar Engineering Opportunities for Chemical Engineers

Presented by: Nga Lee Ng, Gerardo Ruiz-Mercado, Richard Siegel and Kurt Rindfusz, Environmental Division

This workshop will engage students in an interactive discussion about the challenges, advantages, and career opportunities for chemical engineers in the environmental field. A brief overview presentation of opportunities in industry, academia, consulting, and government will be followed by an extensive question and answer session to help the students better understand their potential career options.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM PST: World of Particle Technology

Presented by: Mayank Kashyap, Reddy Karri and Ben Freireich, Particle Technology Forum

More than 80% of gasoline, 70% of polyolefins and a plethora of other products are made using fluidized bed (FB) technology. From gasification to drying, FBs and circulating FBs provide the distinct advantage of high heat transfer and solids mobility. These features have resulted in several breakthrough technologies with better temperature control and the ability to move solids from a reduction to an oxidation environment. Billions of pounds of bulk solids are processed and handled every year by the US process industries, yet most chemical engineers are ill-equipped to deal with the complexities of engineering science of solids processing. Hence, plants and products suffer with lost production, inability to achieve design production rates, off grade or off specification products. During this session, we will take a look at the fun and exciting world of solids processing, specifically some of the more common particle-based technologies examining both the important role they play in society today along with the associated technical challenges. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a thousand pictures and a live demonstration is worth a thousand videos. This session will illustrate some of the awe-inspiring and unique features in the field of particle technology through hands-on demonstrations on fluidization, hopper design, segregation, etc.

12:00 PM - 12:45 PM: Chemical Engineers in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Presented by: Pharmaceutical Discovery, Development and Manufacturing (PD2M)

Workshop panelists, Jennifer Lott (BMS), Kirsten Springer (Abbvie) and Keith Mattern (Merck), will discuss various roles and responsibilities of chemical engineers in the pharmaceutical industry by presenting their work experiences to the audience. These discussions will showcase the interesting technical challenges encountered by chemical engineers in our field and highlight the roles chemical engineers play in pharmaceutical research, development, and manufacturing. A question and answer segment will follow the panelists' presentations to provide the audience with further information. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a thousand pictures and a live demonstration is worth a thousand videos. This session will illustrate some of the awe-inspiring and unique features in the field of particle technology through hands-on demonstrations on hopper design, segregation, etc.

Check out the event flyer for more information!

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM PST:  Everything You Always Wanted to know about Being a STEM Ambassador

Presented by: Larry Sernyk, DOW

You're invited!  AIChE invites YOU to attend the Everything You Wanted to Know About Being a STEM Ambassador – a lively & engaging session to learn how to become a K-12 STEM Ambassador. Hear from fellow members as to how they’ve uncovered opportunities to facilitate STEM events in their local communities, follow along at home as we make Goofy Putty (perfect for all ages and all groups) and develop your leadership skills as you introduce and excite the next generation (and their parents and teachers) about the diverse paths of a STEM career. Share your passion for engineering and highlight how ChemEs are doing a world of good.

Track VII: Industry Opportunities Workshops (Sponsored)

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM PST: Responsible Care®: The Chemical Manufacturing Industry’s Commitment to Facility Safety, Environmental Protection and Sustainability

Sponsored by: American Chemistry Council

Presented by: Tara Henriksen and Bryan Kuppe, American Chemistry Council                                     

The U.S. chemical manufacturing industry is a roughly $565 billion enterprise that develops the products and technologies that touch nearly every aspect of our lives. Chemistry enables solutions to some of the world’s most daunting challenges, including climate change, access to food and clean water, air quality, managing waste, conserving natural resources, and more. These challenges have grown more complex as we seek to sustain the health and well-being of Earth’s growing population and its natural environment.  A career in the chemical manufacturing industry can give you the opportunity to work for a company that is driving change and innovating many of the products, processes and technologies that are essential to a sustainable future. The American Chemistry Council represents large and small chemical manufacturing companies across the country that are committed to excellence in environmental, health, safety and security performance and are innovating to develop the products and technologies that can enhance sustainability around the globe. At this workshop, you will learn about Responsible Care® – the chemical industry’s commitment to worker, facility and community health and safety; environmental protection and resource efficiency; and developing safe, innovative chemical products that meet consumer demands. You’ll also learn about actions the chemical manufacturing industry is taking to enhance sustainability in its operations and products, to address global challenges and enhance quality of life for people around the world.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM PST: Creativity and Grit - Coping with a Difficult Job Market

Sponsored by: ExxonMobil Chemical Company

Presented by: Andrea Wight, ExxonMobil Chemical Company

Successful interviewing requires thoughtful preparation and development of skills to engage recruiters and enhance your marketability. It's important to know what qualities potential employers look for, point to experiences that exhibit those qualities, and articulate what you uniquely bring of value to a potential employer. Andrea has been involved with recruiting activities throughout her career and will share insights and approaches you can use to make your job interview preparation more effective.

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM PST: Getting the most out of your time at home during COVID with Elsevier tools

Sponsored by: Elsevier

Presented by: Chris Cogswell and Walter Coto, Elsevier  

Being a student during the Coronavirus pandemic has forced many of you, your universities, and your professors to think creatively for ways to continue your education while also remaining safe. During this session, we want to talk to students about digital education methods and other techniques people have used which have been helpful while trying to work from home, as well as the efforts or things which haven’t been so helpful. At the end of the session, we will showcase some Elsevier digital tools which we believe can help in writing project reports, learning about new fields or get a deeper understanding of concepts from the classroom, and prepare for your next steps. Being a student member of AIChE helps you to gain insight into your future career and emerging trends in industry.  Elsevier engineering tools can help a student navigate the marketplace whether you are looking for graduate study opportunities or beginning your career. Learn about analytical tools that help you gain competitive intelligence on companies and government agencies as well as learning about new technologies from the content on our engineering web platforms

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM PST: AVEVA Process Simulation Competition: Your chance to win an internship and enhance your resume

Sponsored by: AVEVA

Presented by: Dr Richard Turton, Bolton Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, West Virginia University                          

Enter the 2021 Competition with AVEVA and apply your process design skills to solve a real-world design problem. A unique opportunity to develop your experience while being mentored and supported through the entire competition by AVEVA’s expert leaders.

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM PST: Entry-Level Experiences at a Specialty Chemical Company

Sponsored by: Evonik

Presented by: Ryan Morrison, Sindhu Madhavan, Ahmed Almujahed, and Anna Bandecca, Evonik

Evonik Corporation is a global specialty chemical manufacturer with a passion for improving life, today and tomorrow.  We seek to add special attributes to a wide variety of products through our creative power.  Evonik is German-based, but has a strong manufacturing presence throughout the world.  Come listen to a panel of recent graduates as they share their personal experiences of starting their career at Evonik.