VCU AIChE Chapter Named an Outstanding Student Chapter for 2024–2025
The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering’s student organization of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) was named an Outstanding Student Chapter for 2024–2025. This award marks the first time the university has earned this national distinction and places VCU Engineering in the top 10% of more than four hundred student chapters. Virginia Commonwealth University AIChE was recognized for its exceptional participation, enthusiasm, program quality and meaningful involvement on campus and in the community.
“This recognition is an incredible honor and a testament to the dedication, creativity and teamwork of our entire AIChE chapter,” said Sarah White, chapter president. “Our goal was to build a community centered on initiative, professional development and member engagement. Being recognized on a national stage affirms the work our chapter puts in every day and motivates us to continue creating opportunities that elevate our members and the College of Engineering.”
Virginia Commonwealth University’s chapter has 106 active members and saw record engagement this year. Students organized social hours with faculty and alumni, mentoring game nights and peer study halls, creating a welcoming environment that supports academic and professional growth. Members also led K–12 STEM outreach at local elementary schools, supported VCU Engineering Preview Days and Accepted Student events and partnered with the CLSE Student Ambassador Program to promote chemical engineering to prospective students and families.
Professional development remained central to the chapter’s work. Students hosted internship and co-op panels, an industry career panel featuring VCU alumni and resume and interview workshops. Environmental ethics programming, including a river cleanup and educational walk, encouraged members to explore sustainability in engineering practice. The chapter’s peer mentorship program, now more than 70 students strong, helped new members transition into the Department of Chemical & Life Science Engineering (CLSE) program and build confidence as they took on leadership and academic challenges.
Students also earned national recognition at the AIChE Annual Student Conference in Boston. Sarah White received the John J. McKetta Undergraduate Scholarship Award, Ashley Kang earned the Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Scholarship Award, Raneem Basir received the Donald F. Othmer Second Year Student Academic Excellence Award, Aidan Baker earned the First Year Student Recognition Award, and Connor Richeson won first place in Catalysis and Reaction Engineering in the undergraduate research poster competition.
The chapter attended both the national conference in San Diego and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference at Lehigh University. Virginia Commonwealth University will host the Mid-Atlantic Student Regional Conference on March 28–29, 2026, which is expected to bring about 400 students to campus.
“The American Institute of Chemical Engineers at VCU is a great example of what makes the CLSE program special,” says the group’s faculty advisor, Andrew Kuhn, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, “The mentorship and professional development events allow our students to engage beyond the classroom, promoting positivity and providing national opportunities. Majoring in chemical and life science engineering means the possibilities are limitless, and our faculty are thrilled to advise these students to go further.”
Looking ahead, the chapter plans to expand industry tours, deepen collaborations with other engineering student organizations and grow its mentorship and professional development programming.
The Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to perform real-world research as soon as they enroll. From delving into the intricacies of pharmaceutical manufacturing to exploring the effects of climate change through heat studies, our students pursue a diverse range of cutting-edge research topics. Browse videos and recent news from the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.
Categories Chemical & Life Science Engineering, Student Stories, Undergraduate Student Stories