FOSSI Scholars Shine at AIChE Spring Meeting Roundtable

FOSSI scholars Carol Akpan and Liyah Wilson joined program sponsors and prospective supporters for an engaging roundtable discussion at the AIChE Spring Meeting in New Orleans. The conversation was led by Bruce Chinn, CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical and Member of the FOSSI Advisory Board, who asked the young women to share their thoughts on attending an HBCU and their FOSSI scholarship experience.

"I am excited to attend an HBCU where Black excellence is celebrated every day. I am also grateful for my FOSSI mentor, a successful African American woman who is a ChemE like me and a powerful role model and source of support."

Liyah Wilson - FOSSI scholar, North Carolina A&T State University, Chemical Engineering

Carol Akpan, a senior at Prairie View A&M University majoring in chemical engineering, commented “Attending an HBCU has boosted my confidence. I really appreciate being in a place where people look like me and I feel protected and supported.” She credits FOSSI with providing financial relief, a corporate mentor who has given her valuable guidance and career advice and great networking and development opportunities. “A highlight was FOSSI’s campus visit to PVAMU last fall where I got to meet a lot of FOSSI sponsors and fellow PVAMU FOSSI Scholars.”

Liyah Wilson, a senior at North Carolina A&T State University majoring in chemical engineering, says she values the sense of belonging and community that come with attending an HBCU. “I am excited to attend an HBCU where Black excellence is celebrated every day. I am also grateful to FOSSI for pairing me with my mentor, a successful African American woman who is a ChemE like me and a powerful role model and source of support. She cares about my success and well-being.”

Wilson and Akpan said they encouraged students not to be intimidated by chemical engineering and expressed the hope that more women give it a try noting that “ChemE’s can enter just about any career sector."

Sponsors had the chance to contribute their comments and questions and LYB's Kyle Pierce had the last word, telling guests “Collectively, we have not been good marketers of our industry and we want to change that through FOSSI.”