Caroline Szczepanski, an assistant professor of chemical engineering and materials science who works on bio-inspired polymer materials, believes that service is key to advancing professional development. Her commitment was rewarded in October when the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) presented her with a national recognition for leading the Women in Chemical Engineering Community. Caroline talks about national-level volunteering in this Q & A.
What is AIChE and what is your national role?
AIChE, the world's leading organization for chemical engineering professionals, presented me with an Excellence of Service certificate during its 2024 Annual Meeting in San Diego. I was thanked for chairing the AIChE Women in Chemical Engineering Community and helping to advance goals that will align AIChE with other professional societies around the country.
Specifically, over the past year we initiated a dependent care program that provides additional support to AIChE members who must factor in dependent care responsibilities when attending the Annual Meeting. This is an important addition for members who balance their career development opportunities with responsibilities including child- or elder-care.
What have you learned from the Women in Chemical Engineering Community?
The most important thing I’ve learned from this community is just how much we are evolving from our traditional notion of ‘what an engineer looks like.’ We’re discovering that there is no longer a uniform career path for an engineer and that our profession is becoming much more diverse.
Ultimately, to have our profession benefit from these different perspectives, we need to find ways to support the new faces in engineering. The upside is that the engineering community is learning just how valuable these different viewpoints and perspectives can be as we address engineering challenges. I am seeing progress toward full participation in our profession.
Has your national service advanced your professional development or inspired your research?
One of the most surprising things to me is just how much my technical research has benefitted from this type of service. Specifically, I have new collaborations and projects in my team that grew out of service work. It is unclear how I may have met these collaborators had we not been engaged in service together. Furthermore, my service work has helped me grow my professional network and get my ‘foot in the door,’ so to say, with other leaders in chemical engineering.
Have there been personal lessons for you?
With two children under five at home, I am acutely aware of how much more difficult it is to balance your professional life when you have dependents. There are more pieces to organize, making sure all the drop off and picks up are seamless. As they say, it does take a village. Over the past year, our AIChE community efforts highlight how addressing these challenges may enhance our professional community and broaden the scope of who can fully participate in these events.
I am grateful for this national recognition and for the good committee I have worked with over the past year. I am proud of what we accomplished. We put a lot of energy into tangible outcomes. It’s wonderful to hear members say they value our work and its impact on their professional growth.
The other lesson I have taken away from my service is just how important it is to advocate for the changes you want to see. People often ask how I got involved with these initiatives and communities. In 2022, I served as a programming chair for the Women in Chemical Engineering Community, a position that I received after submitting a self-nomination because I was eager to increase my engagement within AIChE. After that experience, I identified other areas for growth and improvement. Sometimes you just have to put yourself forward. There is no shame in that. In my case, it has led to a lot of opportunities and helped me get over my own self doubts.
What’s next for you with AIChE?
I will serve for one year in a past-chair committee position for the Women in Chemical Engineering Community, and I was just elected vice chair of my AlChE technical division (Polymers). In this new role as a leader of a technical division, I plan to continue supporting our evolving community. Not only is our notion of ‘what an engineer looks like’ changing, but the technical problems we work on are evolving, and I hope to highlight that.
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