Article by Kathryn Trupia | Photo provided by Allie Landry
The ACEE Program held its first open house, educating local high school students about opportunities in the chemical engineering field.
Amplifying the Chemical Engineer’s Experience (ACEE) hosted its first open house Saturday, Oct.12. The event brought in over 20 prospective students from surrounding high schools, who have expressed an interest in chemical engineering.
“I am so excited about the resounding success,” said Arkita Mays, undergraduate academic advisor for the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE), and the inspiration behind ACEE. “Being able to provide prospective students with valuable insight into the chemical engineering field not only enhanced their understanding of what a career could entail, but increased their confidence as [future] engineers.”
The purpose of the ACEE program is to increase access and diversity within UD’s chemical engineering program. According to Mays, statistics show that math and science are underappreciated in the United States, with a disproportionate impact on minority groups. ACEE aims to foster a culture of belonging, through supporting under-represented current and prospective students.
“We are trying to tap into the full talent pool that is available in Delaware and beyond,” said Millie Sullivan, Alvin B. and Julie O. Stiles Professor and department chair of CBE. “The creativity and ideas generated in our program will improve in a step-change way if we are able to broaden participation in engineering.”
The open house featured live demonstrations that showcased opportunities within chemical engineering. Students rotated through four interactive stations, and explored polymers, electrochemistry, and more.
“I fielded a lot of exciting questions from students about my research using mealworm-inspired systems for biological degradation of plastics, and the possibilities of chemical engineering in biotechnology,” said Kevin Solomon, Thomas & Kipp Career Development Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering.
A highlight among the activities was a station where students used skin-safe chemicals to create their own body butter to take home. Naima Prince, a sophomore from New Castle, DE, appreciated how engaging the demonstrations were.
“Today has been very interesting, especially the hands-on activities,” said Prince. “We got to see real examples of things [chemical engineers] can do.”
Given the limited exposure to engineering at the high school level, ACEE provides students with an opportunity to explore the field before choosing a college major. Allie Landry, CBE’s instruction and outreach coordinator, hopes the event motivated students to pursue engineering in the future.
“It was amazing seeing students getting excited about science and what chemical engineering has to offer,” said Landry. “I hope they walked away with a better idea of different career paths, confidence in their ability to access resources, and excitement for STEM.”
Not only did the open house educate students about chemical engineering, it also allowed faculty to observe prospective Blue Hens who may decide to attend UD in the coming years. Sullivan remarked that the future of the chemical engineering program is a bright one.
“It [was] really exciting to see a glimpse of the next group of students who could come here to study,” said Sullivan. “It got me optimistic about what is coming up!”