THE CHEM-E BRIEF

Being a ChemE student often means managing dense coursework, long lab sessions, and the pressure to understand material that feels abstract or overwhelming, and it’s important to remember that struggling with difficult concepts is a normal part of the process, not a sign that you’re falling behind. Most students quietly work through the same challenges, and real progress comes from slowing down, asking questions, and using resources that break topics into manageable pieces. If you ever feel stuck, tools like LearnChemE’s short concept videos (https://learncheme.com) or MIT OpenCourseWare’s chemical engineering materials Chemical Engineering | LL EduCATE: Introduction to Engineering Concepts | MIT OpenCourseWare can help you revisit fundamentals at your own pace, while platforms like Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry) are great for reinforcing the underlying chemistry that supports everything you do. You’re building skills that take time to develop, and the effort you’re putting in now is laying the foundation for the engineer you’re becoming

One of the most important steps in becoming an effective chemical engineer is learning how to build genuine rapport with operators, because they understand the day‑to‑day behavior of the process in a way no textbook, simulation, or onboarding manual can match. Operators see how equipment behaves under stress, how systems drift over time, and which alarms matter versus which ones are just noise, and taking the time to listen to their experience not only accelerates your learning but also builds trust that will make your work smoother and more accurate. A simple habit of asking how the unit is running today, checking in before making changes, or requesting their perspective on recurring issues, can give you insights that would take months to uncover on your own. If you want to strengthen this skill, AIChE’s guidance on effective communication in operations (https://www.aiche.org/resources/publications/cep) and OSHA’s process safety communication principles (https://www.osha.gov/process-safety-management) offer helpful context for understanding how technical decisions and human experience intersect. Strong engineering isn’t just about calculations, it’s about relationships, and the operators you work with are often your most valuable teachers.

One of the most significant recent developments in sustainable chemical engineering is the rapid scaling of industrial electrolyzers designed to produce low‑carbon hydrogen, a shift driven by advances in efficiency, falling renewable energy costs, and major investments from both government and industry. Over the past year, several companies have announced gigawatt‑scale electrolyzer manufacturing facilities, signaling a transition from pilot‑level demonstrations to infrastructure capable of supporting decarbonization in ammonia production, refining, steelmaking, and long‑duration energy storage. This matters because hydrogen produced through electrolysis using renewable electricity has the potential to replace fossil‑derived hydrogen, which currently accounts for substantial global CO₂ emissions. If you want to explore the technical and economic implications of this shift, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Shot initiative (https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-shot) and the International Energy Agency’s hydrogen market updates (https://www.iea.org/reports/global-hydrogen-review-2023) offer clear, engineering‑focused insights into how electrolyzer technology is evolving and where it fits into broader decarbonization strategies. This is one of the clearest examples of sustainability moving from concept to large‑scale implementation.

As 2026 summer and fall recruiting cycles continue, this is a good time to explore opportunities that offer meaningful hands-on experience in chemical engineering, whether you’re interested in research, industry, or long‑term co‑op pathways. NSF‑funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) and other summer research programs are now opening applications, and programs like the University of Delaware REU in Chemical Engineering (Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) | MRSEC) and the University of Minnesota MRSEC REU (REU | MRSEC) provide structured research environments with mentorship and stipends. If you’re looking for company‑based internships, many organizations have already posted early roles, including Dow’s Chemical Engineering Internship Program (Talent Pool for Campus Internships 2025-2026 – Manufacturing & Engineering | Careers | Dow Corporate) and ExxonMobil’s Engineering Internship (Engineering Students Seeking Internship / Co-op Opportunities Job Details | ExxonMobil). For students interested in deeper industry immersion, parallel and full‑time co‑ops offer extended experience that often leads to stronger technical development; examples include BASF’s North American Co‑op Program (North American Apprenticeship Development Program) and Georgia‑Pacific’s Engineering Co‑op (Georgia-Pacific Fall 2026 Process Control Engineer Co-op/Internship ). Staying aware of these opportunities now gives you time to prepare strong application and position yourself for meaningful experience in the months ahead.

Chemical engineering branches into several distinct career paths, each with its own pace, expectations, and day‑to‑day work. Process Engineering is the route for students who enjoy plant operations, troubleshooting, and seeing how large‑scale systems behave in real time; expect fast‑paced environments, hands-on problem‑solving, and close collaboration with operators and maintenance teams. Research & Development (R&D) is ideal for students who prefer experimentation, mechanism‑driven thinking, and long‑term innovation; expect slower but deeper technical work, designing experiments, analyzing data, and developing new materials, processes, or products. Environmental & Sustainability Engineering focuses on emissions reduction, waste minimization, and regulatory compliance; expect work that blends technical analysis with policy awareness, life‑cycle thinking, and designing processes that meet environmental standards while staying economically viable. Each path uses the same Chemical engineering fundamentals, but the daily experience and the type of engineer you become, differs meaningfully depending on the lane you choose.