When the LAU Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) organized its first regional conference this August, it was not yet a year and a half old. That made the chapter’s showing at the two-day event, held on August 19 and 20, 2026, at the LAU Byblos campus, all the more remarkable.

Hosted by the LAU School of Engineering (SOE), the event brought together nearly 80 students from universities across Lebanon. Participants from LAU, the American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut Arab University (BAU), Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik (USEK), Notre Dame University (NDU), Université Saint Joseph (USJ), the University of Balamand (UoB), and the Lebanese University (LU) took part in technical sessions, competitions, workshops, and industry engagement—creating a regional forum for students to exchange knowledge, test their skills, and connect with professionals in the field.

The chapter traces its rise to LAU’s Chemical Engineering Program, which launched in fall 2023 and gave rise to a student club a year later. AIChE granted the club official chapter status in May 2025, just over a year before it welcomed peer institutions to its first regional gathering.

Chapter president Michel Abboud served as conference chair, guided by Chemical Engineering Professor Nissrine El Hassan, the chapter’s faculty advisor, who mentored the organizing committee through a year of preparation. That committee—Carolina Hakam, Abbas Al Dilati, Lana Kassem, Marie-Charbel El Helou, Lana-Maria Lteif, Janette Khouzami, Alexa Semaan, and Tracy Makhoul—worked alongside Dr. El Hassan, Associate Professor Jean Chatila, Assistant Professors Elie Chalhoub, and Mazen Nakad, as well as 15 student volunteers, to bring the conference to life.

The first day carried students from the lab bench toward the lecture hall. International Energy Executive Nasser Hoteit opened with a plenary session tracing hydrogen’s path to becoming a dominant fuel source. The focus then shifted from energy research to enterprise, as Assistant Professor and Director of LAU Engine Evan Fakhoury challenged students to sketch a startup concept in two hours during his workshop.

Day two picked up the sustainability thread. Senior Applications Engineer Sylvain Seif walked students through “The Future of Sustainable Materials” before handing the floor to speakers from the industry, where Health, Safety and Environment Director at Coral Oil Company Wassim Naddi, IPT Group Terminals Manager Anthony Yazbeck, and Sustainability Consultant and Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree Reine Metlej traded perspectives on timely issues related to the field.

Dr. El Hassan delivered a research talk titled “From Methane Dry Reforming to Chemical Looping Reforming on Structured Porous Materials: Opportunities and Challenges for Practical Applications,” and Dr. Nakad a talk titled “Plant as Transport Systems: An Engineering Perspective.”

In another session, LAU Assistant Professor Samer Saab Jr. introduced students to AI and its multiple uses. Behind the scenes, Drs. El Hassan, Chalhoub, and Nakad, in addition to SOE Research Fellow Marie-Nour Kaydouh, spent both days judging the competitions that would ultimately crown the winners of the competitions.

In the Chem-E Jeopardy competition, the LAU team comprising Abbas Al Dilati, Charbel Nadher, Janette Khouzami, and Lana-Maria Lteif finished first, winning $200, and the USEK team of Corine Haykal, Rodger Akiki, Maria Majdalani, and Anthony Chkeir finished second, earning the $100 prize.

In the Research Poster Competition, LAU’s Abbas Al Dilati finished first with a reward of $200, LAU’s Samir Daou finished second, winning $100, and the USJ team that included Jennifer Matar, Diala Fichfich, Karen Kanaan, and Lana El Tourjman finished third and won $50.

In the Student Technical Presentation Competition, LAU’s Abbas Al Dilati finished first for $200, LAU’s Samir Daou finished second for $100, and BAU’s Sibelle El Kouch finished third for $50.

The conference also marked another milestone: Chapter Vice President Abbas Al Dilati announced the launch of AIChE LAU Student Chapter’s official publication, The ChemE Review, for which he will serve as the editor-in-chief. It is only the second such publication founded by an AIChE student chapter in Lebanon.

It is also worth noting that Abboud and Hakam have been recently selected to serve on the AIChE Executive Student Committee for the 2026–2027 term as Middle East regional chair and regional liaison, respectively. Both roles are highly coveted and are a testament to the students’ active presence and leadership in international student networks.