Mississippi State University teams win first and second place in the 2023 Student Process Troubleshooting Competition

First place (L to R): Ben Dengler, Ryan Shaw and Maggie Britton (team captain)

A team of students from Mississippi State University won First Place in the 2023 Student Process Troubleshooting Competition sponsored by the Mid-South Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and held Wednesday, March 29, 2023 in Oxford, MS.

The competition among six student teams from the Mississippi State, the University of Mississippi, and Christian Brothers University (CBU) challenged students to analyze a section of a biodiesel production facility that was not performing to required levels. The students were to develop a strategy to identify the causes of the problems and the plant equipment most effected and suggest possible corrections. Active AIChE Mid-South Section members evaluated and ranked the students’ solutions for correctness, thoroughness, practicality, and clarity of communication.

The first-place team from Mississippi State University included Maggie Britton, Ryan Shaw, and Ben Dengler. The second-place team was also from Mississippi State and included Arigaa Zolboot, Ethan Spiers, and Daniel Cottingham. The CBU team of Brooke Hall and Curtis Goyer finished in third place. Prizes were $400, $300, and $200 respectively.

Second place (L to R): Danny Cottingham, Arigaa Zolboot (team captain) and Ethan Spiers

The event was hosted on the campus of the University of Mississippi under the auspices of the University of Mississippi AIChE Student Chapter. About 30 active chemical engineers and engineering students attended the event.

Funding for the prizes was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Hargrove Foundation and a Project Connect Grant from the AIChE National Office.

A student competition among these schools is a long-standing tradition for the Memphis centered AIChE Mid-South Section.

Press release submitted by: Mid-South Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)