(365a) The Birthing of Aiche’s Process Development Division

The presenters will review the state or relevant programming within AIChE during the early 1990s and discuss the motivations for change and the steps leading to a new division. At that time only the skeleton of a former Engineering Division (Group 12) remained with no divisional leadership or structure. Its only functioning group was a programming entity called “Pilot Plants Committee “(Area 12a), that organized two sessions at both the Fall and Spring Meetings,

This Pilot Plant Committee had a meeting at each conference, to plan programming for future sessions. At one of these meetings in New Orleans (1996), there was a discussion about expanding the scope of the programing to other topics of process engineering. With encouragement by AIChE staff a decision was finally made to propose a new division to replace the old Engineering Division. After considerable brainstorming this resulted in the adoption of the name, “Process Development Division”. Discussions both within the new entity and with AIChE leadership continued through several more conferences and led to the formation of a formal Steering Committee focused on the development of specific areas of programing to reside in the newly proposed division.

In 1997-1998, the programming structure for the new division (which retained the AIChE programming committee designation of Group 12) was resolved. Four programming areas were developed: Areas; 12a "Process Research and Innovation" 12b "Pilot Plants",12c "Technology Transfer" and 12d"Manufacturing", along with their initial leadership.
The Fall 1999 Dallas Meeting saw the debut of the finalized structure, leadership and programming required for the Process Development Group to apply to become a division of AIChE.

The Process Development Division was formally approved in 2020 by AIChE after completion of all the formal requirements (including official bylaws).