Celebrating 10 Years of DAWG: Endowments and Peer-Led Fundraising Efforts
The AIChE Foundation’s endowment efforts continue to shape the future of chemical engineering, ensuring long-term support for programs that advance the profession. In 2024, we successfully endowed the Fellows Endowment, reaching our $50K goal to expand the K-12 STEM Ambassador Program, a vital initiative within AIChE’s national awareness campaign, Bee a ChemE. This milestone builds on our history of successful endowment fundraising, including the prestigious Langer Prize, established in 2018 and now endowed at nearly $2 million, which supports groundbreaking research and entrepreneurial innovation in chemical and biological engineering.
"I implore everybody else to consider donating to it [DAWG] and supporting it—whether that’s financially or your time or your talent." — Tayo Femi-Fowode, MAC, Past-Chair
These achievements would not be possible without the dedication of our volunteer fundraisers—our campaign champions—whose leadership and outreach efforts inspire generosity across our community. Each year at the AIChE Annual Meeting, we recognize these outstanding individuals with our Fundraiser of the Year Award. Recent honorees include Billy Bardin (2024), who helped drive historic leadership giving; Mike Harold (2023), whose strategic efforts doubled fundraising for the CRE Division Endowment; and Arindam Bose (2021), who championed funding for the Society for Biological Engineering (Wispelwey Fund), personally inspiring new donors. Their commitment exemplifies the power of philanthropy in sustaining AIChE’s mission for generations to come.
The success of these efforts demonstrates the strength of our peer-led fundraising, where members step up to rally their colleagues, peers, and networks in support of causes they believe in. As Tayo Femi-Fowode, past Chair of the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC), reminds us, “I implore everybody else to consider donating to it (DAWG) and supporting it—whether that’s financially or your time or your talent.”
As we celebrate a decade of Doing a World of Good, these milestones remind us that our collective generosity fuels AIChE’s future. A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated peer fundraisers—your leadership, passion, and generosity are shaping the next 10 years of impact!
2024 Fundraiser and Philanthropist of the Year: Truly Doing a World of Good
At this year’s AIChE Annual Meeting, the AIChE Foundation celebrated two standout leaders. Billy Bardin, recognized as Fundraiser of the Year, drove record-breaking participation among AIChE leadership and introduced new strategies boosting fundraising efforts. Kathy Chen, named Philanthropist of the Year, made generous contributions to sustain her late husband John C. Chen’s legacy, supporting young professionals through leadership development programs. Together, their efforts have profoundly advanced the future of chemical engineering.
Fully Endowed Fellows Fund Fuels K-12 STEM Outreach
Through the incredible generosity of the AIChE Fellows community, over $50,000 has been endowed to expand the K-12 STEM Ambassador Program. Part of the Bee a ChemE initiative, this program has already reached over 300 students and will now extend to an eighth school, empowering underserved communities and inspiring the next generation of innovators. This milestone highlights the transformative power of collective action in creating a brighter, more inclusive future for chemical engineering.