One of my favorite Viterbi Org is the American Institute of Chemical Engineers also known as AIChE. A professional organization on campus, AIChE is a great way to network with professors, upperclassman and industry representatives. The activities span from social to academic to professional.
Some of our events include bowling night and hikes around LA–these are easy ways to just meet other ChemE’s. We also have a mentorship program in which underclassman are paired with upperclassman in order to learn and get to chat about what the freshman and sophomores have to look forward to and get some tips. Several of the mentorship events include free food too!
We’ll also host panels and Q&A’s about different ways to get involved on campus in projects related to chemical engineering. For example, just last week we had a research panel where undergraduate researchers talked about the projects and labs they worked in and shared about how they got it. We also are launching ChemE car which is a national competition in which we apply our knowledge of ChemE to build a car.
Finally, there are several info sessions held throughout the year where local companies like SoCal Gas, Fluor and WhiteWave Foods come to share the opportunities available in their company. We have a holiday networking mixer at the end of the fall semester too where industry reps and alumni come back to visit.
Once members are more involved too, they have the chance to attend the AIChE Annual Student Conference which changes location each year bringing students from SF to Pittsburgh to Atlanta to Salt Lake City for this year’s. The conference is a great way to network and attend fairs and workshops that further develop leadership and management skills. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to become involved in Viterbi!
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