Westmoreland to Lead Engineering Society

Dr. Phillip R. Westmoreland, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, has been elected president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) for the 2013 term.

Westmoreland, also the executive director of the university’s Institute for Computational Science and Engineering, has been an active member of the professional society for close to 40 years, dating to his days as an NC State student. He was named an AIChE fellow in 2005.

He will serve as president-elect of the 40,000-member organization in 2012.

In his role leading the institute, Westmoreland works with faculty across campus to develop the necessary methods, tools and workforce to accelerate the application of advanced computing. His research focuses on molecular modeling and reaction theory, clean combustion and biofuels.

Westmoreland began his work with AIChE in the mid-1970s, when he was appointed public relations chair and secretary of the organization’s Knoxville-Oak Ridge Section. Later, he was elected chair of the Western Massachusetts Section and director of the Central New England Section.

Westmoreland is the founding chair of AIChE’s Computational Molecular Science and Engineering Forum and chair of its National Program Committee. He served on the organization’s board of directors and has been involved with its Nanoscale Science Engineering Forum.