A group of WSU chemical engineering students traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, earlier this month to participate in a national student conference and chemical car competition.
The students from WSU’s student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) secured a spot in the national student conference and chemical car competition on Nov. 14-17 after taking second place in last spring’s Pacific Northwest regional competition. The competition, which included 35 teams from around the U.S., requires that a chemically-powered car travel 25 meters while carrying a sizeable cargo and then stop as close as possible to the finish line. A group of WSU students originally developed the idea for the national AIChE competition more than a decade ago.
At the conference, the WSU chemical car team members also participated in a poster competition and safety training. Several students attended a leadership training program and networking session with the executive officer committee and the young professionals of AIChE. Junior Anna-Marie Weed took third place in the undergraduate poster competition.
Students attending the conference and competition included Monica Bomber, Robert Sanders, Michael Gerber, Molly Culwell, Nick Lanier, Anna-Marie Weed, Tony Troung, Caleb Search, and Kasey Markland. The students received support to participate in the competition from Alaska Airlines, BP and Phillips-66.
The students are preparing for this year’s Pacific Northwest regional conference which will take place at the University of British Columbia during the first weekend of April. More than a dozen students from the club are expected to attend. For more information about WSU’s AIChE student chapter, please e-mail: wsu.aiche@wsu.edu.
