Chemical engineering student selected as AIChE Southwest Regional Chair

Lamar University chemical engineering student Layali Abusaleh has been selected to serve as Southwest regional chair for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Executive Student Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.

In the role, Abusaleh will serve as the student leader for AIChE's Southwest Region, representing and supporting 11 university chapters across Texas and parts of Louisiana.

For Abusaleh, the appointment represents the culmination of an involvement with Lamar University's AIChE student organization that began during her first year at Lamar University.

"My involvement with AIChE actually started during my first-year Engineering Bootcamp at Lamar," Abusaleh said. "We were encouraged to become involved with our department's professional organization, so I decided to give AIChE a try."

She said the organization's welcoming community and the opportunities she discovered through it encouraged her to become more involved and eventually pursue leadership positions.

"As I became more involved, I wanted to take on leadership roles so I could create that same experience for other students and help connect them with opportunities they might not otherwise know exist," she said.

Founded in 1908, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers is a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to advancing the chemical engineering profession. AIChE represents more than 52,000 members in more than 110 countries and provides professional development, technical resources, networking opportunities and educational programming for chemical engineers and students.

AIChE's Executive Student Committee is the organization's student-run leadership body. The committee works to strengthen student chapters, encourage communication among chapters and connect student members with AIChE staff and the broader organization.

As Southwest regional chair, Abusaleh also will serve as executive lead for the Southwest Regional Student Conference, where she will lead the Presidents Meeting. She said she is especially looking forward to helping lead the 2027 Southwest Regional Student Conference in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

"Every chapter has different strengths, ideas and experiences, and I'm looking forward to finding ways for us to learn from one another and strengthen the region as a whole," Abusaleh said. "I'm especially excited to help lead the 2027 Southwest Regional Student Conference in Lake Charles and bring together chemical engineering students from across the region."

Abusaleh also will represent the Southwest Region at AIChE's Annual Student Conference, giving her an opportunity to represent Lamar University and its College of Engineering on a national stage.

She said the significance of the appointment extends beyond the position itself.

"Being selected as Southwest regional chair is incredibly meaningful to me," Abusaleh said. "I now have the opportunity to represent Lamar University on a national stage while helping lead and support AIChE student chapters throughout the Southwest Region."

The achievement also carries personal significance for Abusaleh, who hopes her experience can serve as an example for her younger siblings.

"I want my younger siblings to see that no matter your heritage, background or where you come from, you can step into spaces of leadership and make an impact," she said. "I also see this accomplishment as a reflection of my parents and the sacrifices they have made to give me the opportunities I have today."

Abusaleh said the position also will give her experience she can carry into her future career in chemical engineering by strengthening her leadership, communication and collaboration skills while building relationships with students, engineers and industry professionals.

"Chemical engineering is such a collaborative field, and learning how to build relationships and lead people with different perspectives is something I'll carry with me wherever my career takes me," she said. "I also hope to bring those connections and opportunities back to Lamar and help open doors for other students."

For Lamar University students considering professional organizations, Abusaleh said getting involved can lead to opportunities they may never have anticipated.

"AIChE has introduced me to opportunities in research, industry, leadership, networking, conferences and competitions that I never would have discovered on my own," she said. "My biggest advice is to show up and get involved, even if you don't know exactly where it will lead."

Abusaleh said her own experience is evidence of how a single decision to become involved can grow into something much larger.

"I certainly didn't join AIChE as a first-year student expecting to one day serve as a regional chair," she said, "and I think that shows just how far saying yes to one opportunity can take you."