This month, the AIChE Foundation hosted a virtual meeting connecting the 2025 recipients of the Poddar Award for Rising Chemical Engineers, Rosa Ines Pinchao Chalaca and Parth Patel, with the award’s founders, Syamal and Susmita Poddar. Joining from Ontario, Canada; New York; Houston; and Bogotá, Colombia, the gathering provided an opportunity for the Poddars to share reflections from their careers and for the recipients to discuss the work they are beginning in their own.
Receiving the 2025 Poddar Award for Rising Chemical Engineers is both an honor and a responsibility…Knowing the values and vision behind this award makes it especially meaningful, and I hope to continue contributing in ways that reflect the spirit in which it was created." - Parth Patel, Environmental Scientist, Terrapex Environmental
The Poddar Award recognizes up to two recent graduates for contribution to AIChE, engagement in their communities, along with strong potential for future leadership and growth. For the Poddars, meeting the recipients is a meaningful part of the award — an opportunity to encourage young professionals as they begin navigating the profession.
As the conversation unfolded, a shared focus emerged. Rosa, a water treatment consultant engineer in Bogotá, works on drinking water and industrial wastewater challenges, while Parth, an environmental scientist in Ontario, evaluates contaminated sites and manages remediation projects. Though their roles differ, both are applying their training to environmental issues in the communities where they live and work.
Rosa’s work involves improving treatment practices and discharge management, including wastewater from dairy processing facilities, to help prevent pollution of nearby waterways. “My city is suffering problems with drinking water… the important thing is to impact people and make really good solutions,” she explained. She hopes to continue building her technical experience, including future work in desalination and advanced treatment processes.
Parth’s role centers on environmental site assessments and cleanup. He conducts soil and groundwater testing, determines the extent of contamination, and coordinates remediation so brownfield sites can be safely reused. “Our job is to look at soil remediation… identifying contamination and cleaning or replacing affected soil,” he said, describing the process of drilling boreholes and evaluating affected material.
Listening to the recipients prompted reflection from Syamal, whose career spanned industry, consulting, and teaching. He spoke about the importance of professional connections and the experiences that stayed with him over the years. “Traveling, meeting people, and building relationships around technology—that was the most rewarding part of my career.”
He also spoke about what has kept him engaged with the field itself and the breadth of opportunities it offers young engineers. “You can convert coal to liquid fuels—from jet fuel that takes a plane into the sky to materials used on the surface of our roads. This diversification is unique to chemical engineering.”
Their interest in mentoring young engineers comes from a desire to support professional development in a field they care deeply about. Syamal built a long career in chemical engineering, and Susmita, a PhD chemist, has shared in that professional and volunteer journey through their continued involvement with AIChE. The award gives them an opportunity to meet young engineers, share experiences, and encourage them as they begin their careers.
Susmita reflected on the choices many in her generation faced. “In our generation, we were taught to place great value on marriage and family, even while building our careers,” she shared. She has since watched the profession evolve and finds encouragement in seeing more women entering science and engineering today.
For the recipients, the experience of meeting the Poddars added a deeper meaning to the award beyond the recognition itself. Parth described the award as both motivating and grounding: “Receiving the 2025 Poddar Award for Rising Chemical Engineers is both an honor and a responsibility. It reaffirms my commitment to advancing sustainable chemical practices and addressing environmental challenges through science and innovation. Knowing the values and vision behind this award makes it especially meaningful, and I hope to continue contributing in ways that reflect the spirit in which it was created.”
Rosa shared a similar perspective, reflecting on the example set by past recipients and the importance of giving back. “Receiving this award is a true honor. I’ve long looked up to previous recipients as the benchmark for what a chemical engineer should be. To now be named among them is a privilege I don’t take lightly, and I’m excited to pay that inspiration forward to the next generation of engineers. My advice to future applicants is to get involved, explore different projects through your university and AIChE student chapter, and enjoy your role in the community.”
The Poddar Award helps AIChE welcome emerging engineers into the profession and support their growth at the very start of their careers — a moment when encouragement and connection can shape the direction of a career.
Your support helps connect and encourage the next generation of chemical engineers as they begin their professional journey.
