Halifax, Nova Scotia. October 2019. Halifax Convention Centre. This was the last time the Canadian chemical engineering community met in person before the pandemic hit and the world was turned upside down and changed forever. I was not part of the CIC family at the time, but I have been told by various chemical engineering attendees that it was a conference filled with hope, progress, growth, and the strength of the chemical engineering community.
It feels like our in-person conferences were a lifetime ago. As the new Executive Director of the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC), it has been a magnificent learning experience (I am a chemist by trade, and chemical engineering is a different ball game!), and an amazing opportunity for me to be a part of the first in-person Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference and Exhibition in beautiful Vancouver and getting to know the incredible and solid chemical engineering community.
The first day of the CSChE conference kicked off with an emphasis on the future: our students. We began day one of the conference with the student program, there was an abundance of workshops and panels geared towards professional development and friendly student competitions, as they showcased their projects and knowledge to attendees and judges. On Monday evening, we held the Student Award Banquet at Floata Restaurant located in the Chinatown area of Vancouver; I attended the banquet, and it was a marvelous night, filled with bright shining faces, a wave of excitement, and amazing food (there was even a competition for the Chem. Eng. Students, and it is incredible what they can create, even with art and craft supplies!).
Multiple professional awards and two FCIC recognitions were presented to early-career and established researchers. View photos from the awards reception now. Being part of the Award Ceremony gave me a full appreciation of how talented and passionate the chemical engineering community is in Canada. We are in good hands.
I am pleased to announce that the previous acronym of “CSChE” has returned for our chemical engineering conference and will be used moving forward. #CSChE2023 will be the hashtag that we use on our social media platforms henceforth.
My most sincere gratitude to everyone who put all their energy, ambition, and cares into making #CSChE2022 a smooth, marvelous success. I would like to personally give thanks to all the volunteers, conference attendees, plenary speakers, symposia organizers, the Technical Program team, Conference Organizing Committee, and the National Team for making this in-person conference such an unforgettable and special experience.
We are already deep into planning for the next conference, and I am looking forward to seeing you all next October, at CSChE 2023: Transitions: Materials, Energy, and the Environment from October 28 – November 1, 2023, in my hometown of Calgary. (And bring your winter clothing because winter always starts early!)