The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering hosted a spring panel discussion titled “Changing Roles of Chemical Engineers” on Saturday, April 23rd, 2016. With this discussion, the department recognized the importance of educating our students and connecting our alumni back to the University. More than 90 students and alumni gathered together to discuss the topics of Energy, Health, and Water, in addition to the changing roles of chemical engineers.
Attendees enjoyed a breakfast networking session, which included a team-building experiment titled “Couette Flow Stability Regimes.” PhD candidates Zachary Hinton and Sadella Santos presented the Couette Flow experiment to the guests. Hinton stated, “In this experiment, we explore the high stability of viscous fluids in laminar Couette flow, allowing for a drop of fluid to reversibly deform in the bulk fluid.” The video to the team-building session can be viewed here.
Subsequently, Dr. Giuseppe Palmese gave opening remarks regarding the department’s initiative with our alumni and student programs. “The department has been creating an environment in which current students connect to our alumni,” said Dr. Palmese, department head of the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department. He cited the development of the department’s alumni programs, including the CBE mentoring program, an ongoing seminar presentation where alumni present a chemical engineering topic to students, and the CBE Annual Event, a reunion event that is held every October.
Following the introduction, the moderator, Dr. Raj Mutharasan, introduced the panelists. The six alumni panelists included Dr. Jeff Barrett (Sanofi Pharmaceuticals), Mark Brandon (Philadelphia Energy Solutions), Dr. James Dyer (DuPont Company), Dr. Patricia McHugh Giordano (Johnson and Johnson), Mark Schuck (Monroe Energy), and James Strunk (Dow Chemical). Some of the key topics that were discussed included: water treatments, energy and technology, healthcare, management styles, and communicating effectively with colleagues. Students and alumni were given a chance to ask follow-up questions. Dr. Mutharasan summarized by providing some of the key elements discussed during the panel discussion, such as, “The alumni panel noted that, to be successful, it is important to be willing to continuously learn and keep with the changing landscape of science and technology.” He also stated the panel addressed the usefulness of enhancing one’s communication and interpersonal skills.
After lunch, Chemical Engineering Ph.D. candidate Megan Hums presented her research, titled “Biodiesel Production from Low-Quality Waste Greases". Megan works in the Cairncross Research group, co-advised by Dr. Richard Cairncross and Dr. Sabrina Spatari. Her work is focused on the production of biodiesel from low-quality waste greases produced from wastewater streams. The research seeks to determine the feasibility of producing biodiesel from grease trap waste and sewage scum grease through techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment.
The event concluded with a raffle contest sponsored by Trader Joe’s, Wahoo Tacos, and Joe Coffee for gift prizes.
Our next alumni event, the CBE Annual Event, will be held on Saturday, October 8, 2016. For more information, contact Jenn Bing, 215-895-1855, jlb453@drexel.edu.
Below are selected comments from our alumni and students after the event:
“The professionals discussed the importance of being self-driven and innovative in order to adapt and excel in different sectors of industry. I was inspired by their passion and work ethic to continue to strive towards getting my degree in hopes of having a positive impact on society.”
– Daniel Nguyen, BS ‘20
"The panel had a great diversity of representatives across different industries. When asked what recommendations they had for young engineers entering the workforce, the panel agreed on "Be positive" and "Be proactive." I especially remember this advice because I see the lack of these qualities everyday, and as a result see individuals hindering their own progress. I thought the panel did a great job of answering our questions and concerns and discussed many illuminating topics across different industries."
–Nancy Patel, BS ‘17
"This event really brought to light the diversity not only in the fields which employ chemical engineers, but in the capacities in which we serve these fields. I was truly enlightened by the many perspectives and by how much of an impact Drexel graduates are having on the world around us."
–Zachary Hinton, PhD ‘18
"The panel discussion was an insightful overview of the challenges facing the chemical engineering discipline, and how we can be prepared for the future. I came away with a great overall message of the importance of continuous learning, development of soft skills, and driving value and innovation for your field."
–Julia Cutler, BSMS ‘10
"I never knew how versatile a degree in chemical engineering could be until I chose a unique career path for myself upon graduation. Learning from other's experiences in the sustainability, energy and health fields, I am more confident and better prepared to build a successful future for myself."
–Arianna Watters, BS’ 10, PhD ‘15