Chemical Engineers Are Heroes

Somewhere along the line, "chemical" became a dirty word. Many people today don't appreciate the broad scope of chemistry and chemical engineering. Nor do they realize how much their lives rely on, and are enhanced by, the advancements made in this field.

As chemical engineers, we do understand the many ways our work makes life better, which puts us in a strong position to help inform and educate the public. We can truly change minds, one at a time, with personal conversations and open communication.

Perhaps you've met someone in a social setting who'd reacted poorly to your profession. Maybe you've had to point out the number of products in that person's everyday life that would not or could not exist without chemistry and the refining/chemical industry. Shoes, clothing, personal care products, makeup, perfumes, automobiles, paper products - the list is endless. Take a step further, mention all the advances in materials chemistry that have defined modern computing and electronics.

It's chemical engineers who will be called upon to drive progress. It's us who will design and build new energy sources, new battery technologies and processes to better clean effluent streams from chemical and power plants. We will be a part of plans to help bring food and fresh water to the planet's growing population. Improving living standards worldwide remains a huge part of our responsibility. We will increase the efficiency and safety of today's chemical processes and pave the way for future developments.

We truly understand the importance of our role in the world of today and tomorrow. But to the uninformed, "chemical engineer" is met with a cold reception, despite all evidence to the contrary.

At Chemstations, we believe that chemical engineers are heroes, so we developed a grassroots campaign to inform the public about the global benefits of chemical engineering. It's a simple concept, but one that we hope will bring positive attention to our field.