2025 AIChE Annual Meeting

(216c) Keynote Address: A Gig for Every Engineer

Author

David Parrillo - Presenter, The Dow Chemical Company
The world is changing—and so must the U.S. education system. As technology accelerates change in the workplace, students need clearer pathways from education to employment, along with opportunities to meet experienced professionals and explore career options early. This session brings together leaders in experiential, project-based learning to ask: Why can’t every engineering student have meaningful engagement with potential employers integrated into their academic journey? We propose a connected model—from high school through to the workforce—that enables continuous skill development, real-world problem-solving, and tighter links between research, market needs, and back again. With cycle times from idea to application shrinking, universities must reimagine how students engage in research and innovation. Scalable models like industrial gigs—short, skills-focused collaborations with industry—can help students gain experience, build critical capabilities, and contribute to innovation pipelines. These efforts promote readiness, relevance, and competitiveness for both students and the nation.