Meet AIChE community leader Jane Aghjayan. June 26, 2026 Chemical engineers, student leaders, and professionals at all career stages are at the heart of AIChE's mission to advance the profession and make a lasting impact on society. In this series, we spotlight members whose passion and leadership help shape the future of chemical engineering. This month, we're excited to introduce Jane Aghjayan, former Chair of the AIChE Executive Student Committee (ESC). A chemical engineering graduate of Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) in Lebanon, Jane helped expand AIChE's presence in her region, including organizing Lebanon's first AIChE National Meetup and Regional Conference. Below, Jane reflects on her experiences as an AIChE leader. What inspired you to become a leader within your AIChE community? My journey with AIChE began five years ago when I first became a chemical engineering student. My life motto has always been: "One should have the courage to look around and see the world not as it is, but as it should be." During my first year, I approached my advisor and asked how I could develop my skills and contribute to my community. Recognizing my enthusiasm for making a difference, he told me about AIChE. I joined my university's AIChE Student Chapter as Social Media Officer, later becoming President and then Student Advisor. At the same time, I got involved with the Executive Student Committee, starting as Social Media Officer before serving as Regional Liaison, Regional Chair, and finally Chair of the ESC. At that time, our student chapter was only one year old. Despite the challenges, opportunities to organize events, meet like-minded peers, and engage with professionals brought me immense joy and helped me grow. These experiences showed me how I could drive change using my technical background. Today, our student chapter is the most active in our university and in Lebanon. We even hosted the first-ever Lebanese National Meetup and Regional Conference in Lebanon. These achievements were especially meaningful given the difficult times our country has faced. Raising the Lebanese flag in this incredible international community filled me with pride. As Regional Chair and later Chair of the ESC, I wanted to spread awareness about what chemical engineering truly is, so I began hosting webinars with experts on various topics. Being part of the student chapter really encouraged me to make a difference. How do you measure the success of your community's impact on its members and the broader profession? I measured the AIChE ESC community's success both internally and externally. Before organizing any webinar, we sent out polls to our group to assess interested, helping us to tailor content. After each webinar, we followed up with surveys. We also strengthened the connection between students and professionals by sharing speakers' presentations and contact information, allowing participants to continue networking after the event. Externally, I evaluated our impact by monitoring engagement on our social media platforms and WhatsApp groups. The consistent influx of messages and participation showed how invested the broader community was. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Members actively networked and often reached out to me directly, which kept communication personal and efficient. This reflected our success in creating a vibrant, supportive community. What role does networking play in your community's success, and how do you facilitate meaningful connections? I always say that networking is one of the most important keys to unlocking opportunity. Anyone can be disciplined, work hard, get a degree, or earn a certificate. But it's your ability to communicate, to reach out, to seek opportunities rather than wait for them. That's what makes all the difference. One thing I'm especially proud of during my time in AIChE ESC is how we broke down barriers between members, regardless of distance, language, culture, or tradition. Now, so many of them see what opportunities exist beyond their immediate world and, more importantly, know how to access them. To me, networking isn't just exchanging names or LinkedIn links. It's creating a space where people feel seen, heard, and empowered. When we connect with others, we realize borders are imaginary, possibilities multiply, and shared knowledge becomes collective power. That's what we were doing: not just building a network, but constructing bridges to a future that feels more open, reachable, and far more human. For all membership questions, please reach out to us at [email protected] - we're here to support you through every step of your professional journey.

AIChE Foundation celebrates engineering a Decade of Impact at the 2025 Gala. News provided by. Dec 10, 2025, 15:26 ET NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - The AIChE Foundation celebrated a Decade of Impact and the transformative power of philanthropy at the 2025 AIChE Gala, held December 3 at The Pierre Hotel in New York City. Marking the 10-year anniversary of the Foundation's Doing a World of Good campaign, the evening brought together donors, corporate partners, volunteers, students, and emerging leaders to highlight how chemical engineers are opening doors, advancing safety, and accelerating innovation that benefits society. With nearly 200 attendees, the Gala reflected the Foundation's commitment to expanding who participates in - and benefits from - the chemical engineering community. Roughly 10% of attendees were students, including Student Chapter Leaders from Stevens Institute of Technology and New Jersey Institute of Technology, as well as members of the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) community. Another 5% of attendees were early-career AIChE volunteer leaders from Operating Councils and Local Sections, bringing additional energy and perspective to the event. "Last night felt like a real community moment for AIChE," said Natalie R. Krauser, CFRE, Executive Director of the AIChE Foundation. "Through the Foundation's work, we're investing in talent and expanding opportunity - and we're making a clear statement that chemical engineering is for all." A key theme of the evening was changing perceptions - not only of what chemical engineers do, but also of who gets to be in the room. Through the generosity of corporate partners and individual donors, attendance was intentionally underwritten to welcome more first-time guests and emerging leaders, creating an environment that encouraged participation and giving. As Samantha Winterburn, 2024 Delaware Valley Engineer of the Year, shared, "I never thought I'd be brought to tears at an engineering event - the stories tonight made me glad I'm a ChE, and I had to donate." The 2025 Gala raised approximately $220,000 to support the AIChE Foundation's mission, including close to $10,000 donated on-site during the program. In remarks during the evening, Erin Kane, President and Chief Executive Officer of AdvanSix and Vice Chair of the FOSSI Advisory Board, reflected on the "time, talent, and treasure" that fuel the Foundation's work and the importance of shifting how the profession is seen and shared. "Perception is key to ensuring that we collectively contribute to a robust and diverse pipeline of skilled professionals who can one day take a seat at the tables we are all at today," Kane said. "The foundation's initiatives positively affect individuals, and we know that by taking action, we're helping create a stronger chemical engineering profession." The program also featured Michelle Caveness, Senior Vice President and Chief Manufacturing Officer at Eastman and AIChE Foundation Board of Trustees member, who marked a decade of progress with a charge for the future. She positioned AIChE's pillars as levers for turning ideas into solutions and emphasized impact requires responsibility, with safety and ethics forming the foundation of public trust. "Safety must be a culture, not a checklist - a learning organization where near-misses are discussed openly, human factors are built into systems, and inherently safer outcomes are the default," said Caveness. She called engineers to lead boldly, saying, "A decade from now, let the story show we chose courage over convenience - that we stepped forward and engineered the next decade of impact." Also speaking during the program, Joseph Smith, 2025 President of AIChE, highlighted the campaign's decade-long momentum and the role of the Foundation in helping AIChE respond to the needs of the profession and society. The evening also included a special video message from Robert S. Langer, Institute Professor at MIT, and concluded with a call to continue building on a decade of progress by investing in future engineers and the programs that prepare them. Proceeds from the 2025 Gala will help advance the AIChE Foundation's Doing a World of Good priorities, including efforts that attract and retain talent, expand education and career development, support research and innovation, promote safety and ethical practice, and change perceptions of chemical engineers and their impact. For more information about the 2025 AIChE Foundation Gala, visit aiche.org/gala. About AIChE - The Global Home of Chemical Engineers AIChE is a professional society of more than 60,000 chemical engineers in 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontiers of chemical engineering research in such areas as energy, sustainability, biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.