Nearly two thousand chemical engineers will converge on Houston next week for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Spring Meeting and 8th Global Congress on Process Safety.

Michael J. Dolan, senior vice president of ExxonMobil Corporation, will deliver the meeting’s keynote address. Dolan’s speech, “Process Safety and Corporate Responsibility,” ties together safety and sustainability, two of the major topics of the Spring Meeting.
 
Joseph Powell, chief scientist at Shell, will speak about “Future Fuels and Chemicals: Grand Challenges and Opportunities.” He will discuss how carbon footprint, cost, and convenience will be critical drivers for future energy choices.

Stephen A. Holditch of Texas A&M University will take on the controversial topic of hydraulic fracturing -- or "fracking." His paper “Unconventional Natural Gas: How Much, At What Cost?” which will explore how technology breakthroughs and increased prices have made underground gas reservoirs increasingly accessible and desirable.
 
A team of engineers from Air Products & Chemicals led by Joan M. Schork will discuss “Societal Risk Criteria and Pipelines,” focusing on the risk of transporting gases and liquids via pipeline -- a subject at the center of the Keystone Pipeline debate.
 
George Famini from the Department of Homeland Security will give a presentation on the efforts by the Department’s Chemical Security Analysis Center to improve the security of the chemical supply chain.
 
The Global Congress on Process Safety is the largest annual gathering of process safety experts in the world, drawing participants from the chemical, refining, and pharmaceutical industries.

Other highlights of the Spring Meeting:

• The 24th Ethylene Producers’ Conference
• 112h Topical Conference on Gas Utilization
• 15th Gas Utilization Topical Conference
• Fossil Energy Utilization
• Advances in Sustainability
 
About AIChE

AIChE is a professional society of more than 40,000 chemical engineers in 92 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 frontier of chemical engineering research in such areas as nanotechnology, sustainability, hydrogen fuels, biological and environmental engineering, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.