2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Undergraduate chemical engineering students increasingly need early, personalized support to identify career pathways, polish professional skills, and facilitate academia-to-industry transition while staying current with emerging technologies that enrich their academic formation. At the Chemical Engineering Department of University X, the Undergraduate Committee conducted surveys of recent BS graduates as well as listening sessions with current students which identified key needs. For example, students with internships and mentoring were far more likely to secure employment at graduation. Additionally, we learned that students felt uncertain about selecting electives and anxious about interviews and career fairs, which led them to seek practical guidance to balance academics with career planning and personal development beyond coursework.

This work-in-progress features the creation of a department-wide Industry Mentoring Program (IMP), co-led by the ChE faculty, the AIChE Student Chapter, and members of the Industry Advisory Board (AB) in response to these needs, thus connecting students directly with alumni and industry mentors. The mentoring framework was modeled on proven national and international best practices, given the extensive experience of some of the AB members including leadership in global initiatives such as the Million Women Mentors which served as an invaluable foundation for the design of the program.

A spring pilot paired a small cohort of students with alumni from sectors like energy, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and environmental engineering. Based on the pilot’s success, a full implementation followed in the fall semester. The AIChE Student Chapter manages online enrollment for mentors and mentees based on academic standing, interests, and communication preferences, enabling manual, interest-based matching with advisor oversight. The program is open to all class years. Mentors typically work with one or two students and meet at least monthly (~30 minutes), guided by prompts on career paths, internship/job search strategies, teamwork and workplace dynamics, resume polishing, technical-skills building, and emerging technologies. Participation integrates with the AIChE student organization point system, enabling student involvement in various leadership and networking activities. The current cohort includes ~39 mentor–mentee pairs, with a pre-survey at launch and a planned post-survey at semester end (December).

Preliminary feedback from mentors and mentees indicate strong perceived value. Mentees praised match quality and reported concrete actions including refining study habits, preparing for interviews, and pursuing research/independent work. One mentee referred to the program as “the most useful ChE-related program”. Mentors affirmed the fit and highlighted the importance of offering mentoring as early as the sophomore year, suggesting occasional small-group sessions to address common recruiting/career-fair questions.

Program observations surfaced targeted improvements: brief student onboarding on email/phone responsiveness, resume organization, and thank-you etiquette. Additional logistical observations include providing students with a Zoom university account, streamlining background checks, and tailoring resources by academic level. Planned enhancements include expanded mentor recruitment, mentor micro-training and prompt banks, complementary workshops, improved matching heuristics, and longitudinal tracking of internship placement and early career outcomes. This program aims for a long-term, self-sustaining mentoring culture that gives every ChE student timely access to guidance, confidence, and a durable professional network.