Introduction
For many years, chemical engineers (CHEs) were only involved in the application of physical and life sciences, and the conversion of raw materials to finished products. However, the current curriculum has allowed chemical engineers to encompass more than just design and processing into their practices. Chemical engineers today play crucial roles in product design, research, and development. The line between chemical engineers and chemists continues to grow thin as engineers become better and better equipped to innovate their own ideas and implement them.
Going through the CHE 300 class has been an extraordinarily relevant experience for me. The overall objective of the course was to equip us with professional development skills that we need in the future as chemical engineers and other related responsibilities. Among the topics covered included thinking outside the engineering box, PSU sigma six presentation, intellectual property, lifelong learning, and ethics in Engineering, just to mention a few.
Analyzing presentations
A presentation by John Cirucci and Larry McAlister on ethics in engineering was of paramount significance to all of the students as future professionals. New technological innovations and market expectations have created timeless ethical issues for chemical engineers. The most significant ethical issues in the profession revolve around environmental protection, safety, and bio-ethics. As designers of most processing technologies, CHEs should be able to ensure sustainable development is achieved. Like many other professions, every engineer is expected to adhere to the code of conduct in their relationship with colleagues, resolving conflicts, handling competition, and other core values addressed in the industry. Most importantly, a CHE must guarantee human, animal, and environmental safety is not breached. The presentation helped me and the rest of the class realize that as CHE, we must always keep a commitment to perform duties in an ethical manner.
Another significant presentation in CHE 300 was thinking outside the box by Brad Sutliff. In a world where competition and demand for quality grow by the day, it is paramount that one stands out as an engineer. The world is today faced with enormous technical challenges such as producing in large volumes, saving energy, and being able to anticipate technical challenges before they arise. Being able to respond to situations fast is an indispensable skill for an engineer in any field, as evident by the recent nuclear disaster in Japan. By elaborating different CHE processes, the level of accuracy required in the profession was evident. The technicality of different chemical engineering processes used as examples made it the clear need for a CHE to be creative, alert, and think outside the box.
The lifelong learning presentation by Eric Jackson was an incredibly valuable part of CHE 300. As a young engineer, figuring out a career path may be difficult. The presentation took us through a CHE’s job responsibilities, what to expect and do after graduation, learning processes, different corporate climates, and alternatives options in the profession. The presentation also expounded on the pros and cons of graduate school and different education programs for those intending to pursue their studies. It gave the group the many needed guidelines on what to do and where to prioritize after graduation.
In my opinion, looking for a job and establishing a successful career in the technical field can be a challenge. In addition to presentations on how to apply to grad school, CHE 300 should have included chapters that prepare students for the job market. These include presentations on how to write an impressive curriculum vitae for a technical job, how to prepare for interviews, and how to negotiate compensation packages. At a time when the world is one vast global market, the course should enlighten students on how to analyze different labor markets in the world and access the best opportunities.
Another area that the course should address in the future is how a CHE can use his/her degree to diversify into other professions. For example, CHEs who are not willing to practice engineering after graduation can use their degrees to join a management school and be a managing engineer thereafter, rather than being a technical engineer. In addition to this, the presentation must also address the needs of those students who want to go into entrepreneurship in the field immediately after graduation.
Conclusion
A career in chemical engineering requires expert knowledge of different sciences, to allow one to design and operate large and small-scale processes in any manufacturing organization. CHE 300 was aimed at equipping us with professional development skills to aid us in having an easier transition from students to practicing engineers. The course partly achieved its objectives by addressing the transition from a student to the first job, professional ethics, quality management techniques such as sigma six, intellectual rights, and teamwork, among others. In the future, the course can accomplish its objectives fully by having presentations that help students make sound, appropriate and well-informed decisions by understanding the labor markets in the industry more comprehensively.