The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) announces the members who will form the inaugural Learned Society Committee. The committee will set the strategic priorities across the breadth of activities that IChemE already undertakes in its role as a learned society.

Nine new committee members are elected to the new Learned Society Committee, which is chaired by IChemE Vice President (Technical) Jarka Glassey. The new representatives have a wide range of technical backgrounds and work within a variety of sectors (including nuclear, food and drink, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and chemicals) meaning together they have a broad spread of knowledge. They are:

• Tom, Baxter, Oil and Gas Consultant (Aberdeen, UK)
• Neil Blundell, Principal Nuclear Inspector, Office for Nuclear Regulation (Wigan, UK)
• James Carrick, Retired, formerly Senior Vice President & Regional Executive, URS (Darlington, UK)
• Claire MacLeod, Associate Principal Scientist, AstraZeneca (Cheshire, UK)
• David Platts, Food Engineering Consultant (Hamilton, New Zealand)
• Colin Pritchard, Senior Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, UK)
• Kiat Seng Qua, Retired, formerly Advisor, ASEAN Oleochemical Manufacturers Group (Selangor, Malaysia)
• Andrew Thompson, Mechanical, Electrical and Process Practice Manager, Atkins (Warwickshire, UK)
• Sam Wilkinson, Senior Consultant, Process Systems Enterprise (Middlesex, UK)

The committee will provide member leadership and oversight of IChemE’s established learned society activities, including the special interest groups and the proposed new Communities of Practice, IChemE’s portfolio of publications, its medals and prizes and its work with policy makers. It will also determine which technical areas IChemE should focus and how the Institution might deliver in these areas. In addition, the committee will help shape new and developing areas, such as the proposed focus on agile member-led projects, supported by staff and funded by IChemE as appropriate.

The first virtual Learned Society Committee meeting will take place in August and a physical meeting in the coming months, with the first points of action to agree how the group will operate, and perform a gap analysis of the existing members to guide any potential further co-options (up to three seats can be allocated). The committee will also discuss the reviewing and updating of Chemical Engineering Matters and will lead on this work.

For more information, visit: www.icheme.org