What do you do if you want to become a subject matter expert in a specific chemical engineering field?

Getting a PE license helps. I'm proud to have both PE and PhD on my business card although my nephew thinks I'm a physical education teacher...

Please consider that pursuing advanced degrees, such as a Master's or Ph.D., offers several benefits for becoming a subject matter expert in the field of chemical engineering: Depth of Knowledge Research Opportunities Access to Resources Credibility Overall, pursuing advanced degrees in chemical engineering provides the necessary foundation and resources to develop specialized knowledge and skills, ultimately positioning you as a subject matter expert in the field.

In order to become a subject matter, expert, one needs to have knowledge of entire list of fundamental principles of chemical engineering. Entire arena of chemical engineering is highly interconnected and could be approach by multiple ways. Once a rock-solid foundation is formed, one may lay a building over it. A problem of transport phenomena involves heat transfer, mass transfer, chemical reaction, engineering, basics of thermodynamics and various multi dimensions. A bachelor degree is the foundation of all principles, whereas a master degree is a specialisation of one of those principles & a doctoral degree is the deep diving into the chosen field of interest.

Based upon the area of interest, choosing the specialisation is the key step. Chemical engineering as a plethora of field to work for the betterment of society. Analyse your area of interest with the industrial needs and future incentives by the government embeded with global scenario. With the domination of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the different engineering branches specialisation in a particular field could be the keystone for future, which will be defining the real change .

Getting hands-on experience in the chemical engineering domain is a necessity for understanding the basics. ??An undergraduate student must have laboratory-scale experiences as well as industrial vocational training, which may allow him to understand the fundamentals applied on a large scale. ?? industry level as well as laboratory scale experiences when clubbed together may strengthen profile for an entry-level job. This may provide an extensive exposure on application of chemical engineering principles.

To cement their grasp of the fundamentals, a chemical engineer should engage in industry work to gain practical experience. While academic learning lays a strong foundation, true understanding of chemical engineering concepts requires hands-on exposure in settings like oil, gas, and petrochemical environments. Only through direct experience can one fully comprehend the complexities of equipment sizes and key variables such as temperature, pressure, and flow.

Seek guidance from experienced professionals or mentors who can provide valuable insights and advice on career development and technical expertise. Please do not forget the value of experience in industry!

I encourage you to be a perpetual student. Follow your own direction in areas that you find facinating. Seek more than one area, and see how these areas "talk to each other." Growth comes from finding challenging work where you connect the dots. Follow a Teaching & Learning Strategy which is the Hallmark of LinkedIn. Present your findings at conferences and publish your work. You will meet many other Quantitative NERD's who "became perpetual students also."

Publish articles in journals, present at conferences, or contribute to industry publications are highly recommended to establish credibility and visibility in the field.

I fully support Dr. Makarem's contributions here. Adding from my personal experience, I was fortunate to have a handful of great Mentors, the first was Robert Marquardt who I worked for as a student intern at General Electric's Sonar Signal Processing Group for three consecutive summers. Yes, it wasn't chemical engineering, it was another branch of engineering. That's my point, the years were 1972, 1973, 1974. The Mentor role continued through my PhD and JD degrees after my eleven years with DuPont. I brought my three year old daughter Jennifer to meet him when I graduated the fourth time. That's how these things go. My Technology Commercialization Law Professor Theodore Hagelin was another life long Mentor. My own Mentee's also helped me.

?? Start by conducting in-depth research on the specific field of interest within chemical engineering. ?? Invest time in studying relevant literature, academic papers, and industry reports to understand key concepts and emerging trends. ???? Collaborate with experienced professionals and mentors in the field to gain insights, guidance, and practical knowledge. ?? Participate in workshops, conferences, and seminars to expand your understanding and network with other experts. ?? Continuously seek opportunities for hands-on experience, such as internships or projects, to apply theoretical knowledge and deepen your expertise.

All of this boils down to 3 key elements for ANY level of experience or expertise: Study Practice Seek guidance. As long as you continue this process you will continue to find new exciting things to study, practice, and ask about.