Chemical Technology April 2016

Michelle Low, SAIChE Council member, interviews Veeash Oomardath Veeash Oomardath (AMIChemE) was one of the eight finalists for the Young Chemical Engineer in Industry category for the 2015 IChemE Global awards. It is a great achievement to be shortlisted, as IChemE received many nominations from over 40 countries. Next month we will feature Craig Sheridan (AMIChemE) who was shortlisted for the Food and Drink category. really attracted me to the field. I also enjoy the problem-solving facet of the field. Few industries can say they are 100 % efficient; so there is always a better way to do things. My job is to find that way. I love challenging the conventions and not accepting the norm. I always want to rewrite the playbook, and this is my drive and why I chose to go into industry.

SAICHE ICHEME SPOTLIGHT

ML: Did you attend the awards cer- emony in November 2015, and if so how was the experience? VO: Yes I did attend the awards in Birming- ham. These awards are organised to the highest standards; which makes for an enjoyable evening out. It’s always an amazing experience, to spend a day with your peers from industry. It is interesting to learn about what other engineers from around the world are busy with in their companies. Overall it was an excellent networking opportunity. ML: Any advice for young chemical en- gineers who want to go into industry? VO: At present, it’s not business as usual at most companies around the world. The global economy is in a very volatile state, on speculation of a slowdown in Chinese growth. With this, the price of commodities has hit decade lows. In this environment, many companies are trying to cut costs and process efficiency is imperative for survival. In the wake of this, the need for chemical engineers in industry is greater than ever. It falls on engineers to implement more innovative solutions to ensure the survival of com- panies. And in any case, the best time to learn is when things are going wrong. Innovation is often sparked from despair, and so it’s in times like these

ML: How did hear about the competi- tion? VO: I’ve been a member of IChemE since I was studying at university; and I am familiar with their annual events (mainly through their TCE publication). Over the past six years, I have also been part of their awards ceremonies on a number of occasions. During the 2010 Global Awards my project received highly commended status in the ‘Engineering Project of the Year’ category. I was also shortlisted for the ‘Young Engineer of the Year’ during the 2010 awards. VO: During high school, I had a passion for chemistry and I always saw myself pursuing a career which incorporated this. Unlike other fields of study, I think chemical engineering does not follow a set formula; and this is what I love about it. You seldom have a routine, and never do the same stuff each day. When you leave university in South Africa, you are also quite lucky in that there are a number of avenues you can follow. In a country built on mining, there is now a diverse range of industries in which chemical engineering forms the backbone. So, you are really spoilt for choice. And I think this diversity of choice ML: What made you choose Chem Eng and to go into industry?

that the best ideas are born. Now, when the rulebooks are being rewritten, it’s an exciting time to be a chemical engineer in industry. In South Africa, we are not insulated from the rest of the world, so the need to evolve is also important. So in the next few years you are going to see engineers assuming new roles which better suit the needs of this evolving economy. This may provide many opportunities to young, aspirant engineers. So overall it’s a great time to be a chemical engineer. https://za.linkedin.com/in/veeashoomardath Twitter: https://twitter.com/veeash Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veeash.oomardath Email: Veeash.Oomardath@gmail.com IChemE link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH6U-HVpPJM The IChemE Global Awards opened for entries on Tuesday 1 March 2016. The closing date is Friday 24 June 2016. Visit the following website for more informa- tion: http://www.icheme.org/awards C onnect with Veeash! LinkedIn:

Chemical Engineering Matters — the blog Chemical Engineering Matters, IChemE’s technical strategy, outlines the impact of the chemical engineering discipline in the 21st century.

line at https://ichemeblog.org/chemical- engineering/matters. Now in its second edition, Chemical Engineering Matters reflects member feedback and reports on progress made since it was first published in 2013. Significantly, it identifies eight priority action areas for IChemE. These actions will underpin the institution’s work pro- grammes in the years ahead.

within the profession and beyond it. The strategy addresses four key chal- lenge areas facing society and the world today: water; energy; food and nutrition; and health and wellbeing It outlines the scope, application and implications for chemical engineering in a series of ‘vistas’ examining activity across these four areas. You can view the ‘vistas’ on water, energy, food and wellbeing on-

The report describes the thinking behind everything that IChemE is doing to support its members and promote the profession internationally. It is intended to provoke debate and stimulate activity and engagement both

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Chemical Technology • April 2016