Students Attend National AIChE Leadership Development Conference

June 2007- Brian Rodenhausen, president, and Adam Bogardus, vice-president, of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln AIChe student chapter attended the National AIChE Leadership Development Conference (LDC) in Boston, MA, in June of 2007. Dr. William Velander, president of the AIChE Nebraska Local Section, provided financial assistance for the travel so that the students could explore ways to connect the student chapter and the Nebraska Local Section.

Clearly, bringing AIChE students and professionals together is something that is both widely supported and desired. When Rodenhausen and Bogardus arrived at the conference, they were heartily encouraged by James Cross, the Boston Chapter president. Cross shared with them that he had contacted six Boston Universities, including MIT, and asked them to send student delgates to the conference. However, the UNL students were the only undergraduates who attended. At one seminar, when Rodenhausen told the group the reason for their trip, he received a round of applause.

The Nebraska Chapter has been struggling with participation numbers over the past few years. Velander attributes the low numbers to the state's unique problem of a low population density over a large geographic area. However, the students discovered that AIChE participation is a nation-wide issue. The energetic Boston Chapter currently has approximately 800 members, but only has active participation from 10% of their group. The two most common LDC suggestions for boosting membership were to use technology to bring people together and to make sure that scheduled meetings have a purpose worth travelling for.

2007 Leadership Development Conference Presentation

By Brian Rodenhausen
President, UNL AIChE Student Chapter
krodenh1@bigred.unl.edu

Rodenhausen created this slide show summary of the LDC conferece which was presented at the UNL Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Advisory Board annual meeting in September 2007.