Date

Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Program

The Changing Face of Chemical Engineering and the Role of our Professional Society

Our chemical engineering profession is changing in many ways and AIChE is changing in response.  As diverse as our profession has been traditionally, the diversity of industries that employ chemical engineers gets broader each year.  At the same time, our employers face cost pressures from a global marketplace and, in some cases, are reducing staff and investing less in technology development and professional development. 

AIChE has been affected by these pressures and has responded by identifying the “Essential” elements that are most important to us as members.  These elements form the core of the Institute from which we can grow to reflect the changing face of our profession. The Essential AIChE will be described and a discussion period will follow. 

Speaker

Bill Byers is President of AIChE for 2004.  He has been active in the Institute for over 25 years, serving as Chair of the Oregon Section and Chair of the Environmental Division in the 1980s and early 1990’s.  He served as Meeting Program Chair for the 1993 Summer National Meeting and chaired the National Program Committee in 1996.   Bill previously served on the Board of Directors in 1997-1999 and was elected as a Fellow of the Institute in 2002.

Bill earned a BS in ChE from Oregon State University and an MBA from the University of Oregon.  He started his career with Fractionation Research, Inc. and subsequently worked for Fluor Engineers and Constructors.  He started work for CH2M HILL in 1981, for which he currently serves as Vice President and Technology Development Manager.