Members of the executive board of the Penn State student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. IMAGE: PENN STATE AICHE
Chemical engineering student chapter recognized by national organization
12/20/2019
By Jamie Oberdick
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) student chapter received an Outstanding Student Chapter Award on Nov. 10 at the 2019 AIChE Student Conference in Orlando, Florida.
The award is the organization’s second Outstanding Student Chapter Award in three years. It is given to student chapters that show an exceptional level of participation, enthusiasm, program quality, professionalism and involvement in their university and community.
The award recognizes the work the chapter drove in 2019. In April, the chapter hosted the AIChE Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference that was attended by more than 350 chemical engineering faculty and students from 30 colleges and universities. Throughout the year, the students offered company-sponsored informational and networking events for Penn State chemical engineering students.
“We were able to host a big event like the regional conference and on top of it do everything else including hosting near weekly events,” said Joshua Pezzulo, Penn State senior in chemical engineering and AIChE student chapter president. “That speaks to our incredibly active chemical engineering student body.”
Zachary Metzger, Penn State senior in chemical engineering and AIChE student chapter vice president, praised the support the student chapter received from the Penn State Department of Chemical Engineering.
“We have been successful due to the supportive department staff and faculty,” Metzger said, noting that Wayne Curtis, professor of chemical engineering and Penn State AIChE adviser, and Monty Alger, professor of chemical engineering, were especially helpful with guidance and ideas.
While chapter-sponsored events in 2019 were a highlight, Pezzulo said that Penn State chemical engineering students can find many other benefits in an AIChE student membership.
“We offer so many things,” Pezzulo said. “For example, student members get professional development opportunities, academic mentoring sessions, intramural sports teams, community outreach, THON, undergraduate research, local facility tours and social events. Students should join AIChE to access all of these benefits. Penn State AIChE is, in my opinion, the best club a chemical engineering student can join.”
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