Ezequiel Vicent’s Post

Our February Issue touches on a topic that is very near and dear to our hearts: undergraduate chemical engineering education. https://lnkd.in/e9qFnsGW This issue's Viewpoint discusses current strengths and areas of potential needed development for modern chemical engineering curricula. We felt that the time was right for this discussion piece given that the field continues to broaden topically (see Editorial 1) and in light of rapid technological advancements. These are compounded by the growing need for systems-level engineering analyses, with techno-economic and life cycle assessments becoming increasingly important early in design (see Editorial 2). Incorporating and integrating better these new approaches and topics into a curriculum with a fixed number of course hours presents a major design challenge. This Viewpoint, although not comprehensive, begins a timely discussion. The first three viewpoints tackle chemical engineering education from the broader perspective of overall curriculum design, while the second three propose specific topics warranting further consideration in course redesign like data science and analytics, artificial intelligence, and electrochemical engineering. A huge thank you to Jinlong Gong, David Shallcross, Yan Jiao, Venkat Venkatasubramanian, Richard Davis, and Chris Arges for their insightful essays. Feel free to leave feedback below! #chemicalengineering #catalysis #sustainability #education #engineering

When I examine the experience of these six contributors, I discover a grand total of 10 years of industry experience (out of a collective of more than a century), 5 of which was as a practicing engineer outside of a lab, all of that in the 1980s. What non-academic organization would review its products without consulting the customers, which for ChE undergrads are largely manufacturers and the engineering firms that serve them? Not surprisingly, what we hear from the researchers is the usual academic politics of UN goals, respect for indigenous people, repeated use of the word sustainability in every possible context, and how the fight against climate change is the only righteous path; necessary language for academics who wish to publish, but not very relevant to the question at hand. Each in turn talks about how undergrads should learn more about (surprise!) their particular research area. Yes, ChE undergraduate education needs reform, but asking academics rather than professionals provides little insight into what direction that reform should take. Ask engineering hiring managers; they'll tell you ChEs taught by academics are insufficiently prepared to address the practical design and safety tasks that will greet them.

Hi chemical engineering community 👋, Next week, I'll be giving a lecture for undergraduate students focused on distillation. My goal is to bridge the gap between foundational distillation topics and their industrial applications. Here are some of the key areas we'll explore: 1. Multicomponent Distillation: Real-World Applications: Complex Mixtures, Design Considerations 2. Control Strategies for Distillation Towers: Basic vs. Advanced Control, Case Studies 3. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability 💡: Heat Integration, Alternative Energy Sources 4. Safety and Environmental Considerations: Safety Systems, Emission Control 🌿 Innovative Distillation Technologies: Membrane Distillation, Ionic Liquids in Distillation 🚀 Future Trends and Research Areas: Digitalization and Industry 4.0 While we can't cover everything in depth, the aim is to provide a broad overview of what students might encounter in their future careers. I'd love to hear from you: Which of these topics do you think deserves extra emphasis? Are there any additional subjects you believe are crucial for bridging the academic-industrial gap in chemical engineering? Your insights and suggestions will be invaluable, not just for refining the lecture content, but also for sparking curiosity among the next generation of chemical engineers. Jeferson Costa, Fauzi Djauhari, Leopoldo Ferrer, Vijay Sarathy, Mihail Editoiu, Daniel Medeiros

This week, I am sharing 5 tips for Chemical Engineering Students and recent Graduates. My first tip is a basic but important one: Make the most of your University experience. Do your best, as better grades are more attractive. Where possible, choose optional courses, research and design projects that demonstrate your specific interests. However, having a lower grade is not as bad as you might fear. There are other factors employers consider. Beyond academics, take responsibility for helping to manage a student society or club to build your teamwork and organisation skills. Make the most of your University experience and look out for my second tip tomorrow. #chemicalengineering #processengineering #universitystudent #graduate #earlycareeradvice

During my varsity years as an undergrad Chemical/Process Engineer, our slogan was; Echo: Chemical! Response: Processing! Echo: Processing!! Response: Raw Material!! Upon graduation I understood clearly the essence of our prolonged emphasis on PROCESS as our lecturers even referred to us as Process Engineers, Process men/women , etc. As I grew and climbed the corporate ladder (even though I just started, which is worth celebrating regardless), I became more patient, I am never hasty to jump the queue, I became a strong advocate of trusting the Process. Apart from my personal decisions and ideology system, somehow those undergrad days of overstretched emphasis of the word PROCESS (as a vague word) always replay in my head and as I read several interpretations to PROCESS and understood it from multiple frames of reference and different point of view, it became a strong part of me to always practice by default and advocate the essence of PROCESS amongst young people. Collectively, we all need to preach a lot about the process. A lot of young people have lost their lives because they do not want to follow the PROCESS. Young people like myself need to understand that most of the big breaks and testimonies we read here on the media space are coming from years of hardwork and patience. We need to understand that our sowing years cannot be compared to the reaping years of others. In all, don’t stop growing genuinely, Don’t jump the queue. Trust the process and you too would be Outstanding!! #Ken #CreativeWriter #ProcessEngineer #RemainOutstanding #MentalHealthAdvocate

College prepares the next generation of professionals to solve the problems facing our society. While covering the fundamentals is critical, it is also important that the curriculum incorporate new and emerging topics that will prepare the next generation of engineers for the workforce. When I first started at Exponent a decade ago, I wrote a paper with a few of my new colleagues (Russell Ogle, Brenton Cox) that was published in Process Safety Progress about the importance of teaching #ProcessSafety to students majoring in #ChemicalEngineering (https://lnkd.in/gmsGYzM3). Making the world a safer place resonates with me, and I felt synthesizing how chemical engineering departments were trying to do that was a worthwhile use of my early career free time. I saw an article this week from Nature Chemical Engineering (credit to Waheed Afzal for posting about it) about rethinking chemical engineering education. It's not often that a paper really sticks with me, but I had to post and share it. The article highlights the importance of working with other disciplines, #Sustainability, #Entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence (#AI), advanced technology, and using more project-based and problem-solving methods in the learning environment. For those passionate about engineering, education, or simply reminiscing about university days, this article is a must-read. It's not only thought-provoking but it's also FREE! - https://lnkd.in/g7eE_cCB #FutureOfEducation

Your life isn't about you. Or better said, your life isn't ALL about you. I came across this quote while reading Morning Star by Haoma Worgwu and it really stood out to me. ✨There are lives connected to yours, people depending on your light to see. This might not make sense to everyone but hear me out. 2 years ago, I was about starting my first year as a chemical engineering student, and I met a girl who had just graduated from my university and studied chemical engineering (Shoutout to you Amina in case you get to see this😘) You know what that did for me? It showed me possibility. That someone could pass through this same field and finish. It made me see that it was POSSIBLE. Now whenever I get discouraged, I remember that Amina did it and so can I. ✨Think of your favourite song, book, movie, or even motivational quote and think of how much it has impacted you. Do you think the creators didn't get tired or frustrated? But they kept going! And see the impact it has had on you! Now think of those depending on you and how much you've been starving them😂. It's not just about being the most 'successful'. It's about being able to serve others. My word today is simple.. For the sake of those whose lives are connected to yours, shine your light and shine it bright. You are a beacon of possibility for someone out there, keep going❤️! Let me know, who's that one person who has impacted your life greatly? Either through music or books or social media. Tell us in the comments. ♻️Kindly repost if you found this insightful. #ladyengineer #chemicalengineering #newweek __________________________________________________________________ Seeing my post for the first time? I’m Yingi, a chemical engineering student with a heart for innovation and sustainability. I document my journey as a student and share tips to guide you on yours. I also talk about trends in the chemical engineering industry. Let’s connect and make a positive impact together!

My new paper is somehow different from from my all published papers. It is in the form of short communication about Layouts and tips for a typical final-year chemical engineering graduation project. In this paper, I tried to put guidelines for chemical engineering staff and students to start a final year project. The paper is available online in the following website: A fundamental step in the education and scientific research processes is the final-year project for undergraduate students. In chemical engineering departments,… Source: De Gruyter https://lnkd.in/emwgBx6J #chemical #Engineering #staff #students #graduations #project

As the semester comes to a close, we are excited to share our last faculty spotlight of the semester, Dr. Ryan Lively! Check out his interview below: Q: Why did you pursue chemical engineering when you were in college? A: I picked chemical engineering when I was a senior in high school. I did not really know what it was, but it seemed like it was an interesting combination of chemistry, math, and physics, which were all topics I enjoyed in high school. Once I encountered the ChBE material, I really fell in love with it, as our discipline has the potential to really have a global impact on things like CO2, water, energy, etc. Q: What is your favorite chemical engineering class to teach? A: 2100 and Thermo 2 (RIP). Q: What is your top piece of advice for students? A: My suggestion is to treat your coursework like a "day job", if possible in your specific situation - if you work on your course work, projects, etc. from 9a-5p M-F you will still have time for sleep, social life, etc. In other words, it is possible to pick all 3 on the ChBE triangle of "good grades, sleep, social life"! Q: What kind of research do you do? A: We work on making separation processes more efficient, and on developing new processes that are important for a sustainable future: CO2 capture, water purification, sustainable aviation fuels, etc. Q: What is a hobby you like to engage in during your free time? A: If I get free time I enjoy playing video games - you can currently find me on Rocket League and Helldivers 2! #georgiatech #aiche #facultyspotlight #chemicalengineering

"Your time in academia is primarily about your training as a scholar, not just about the research you produce. As such, my advice would be that the direction you take your research ought not to be motivated only by the scientific results, but also by what you want to learn and grow into. What role would you like to have after you finish your program? What skills do you enjoy using? What kinds of challenges do you want to contribute to solving? There are many such questions to ask about what work you want to do, just as there are numerous decision points in any research project: What system are we studying? What questions are we asking about this system? How do we go about answering them? These questions about personal goals and scientific direction ought to be considered together. There are often constraints on these decisions, many outside our direct control. Nonetheless, I think prioritizing your personal preferences will increase the chances that you spend your time on ideas you find compelling, in a way you hopefully find fulfilling and enjoyable.” - Wesley Michaels, Ph.D. '22, Chemical Engineering Read more: https://lnkd.in/g4Pyf5pc #StanfordChemE