MIT Chemical Engineering Students Expand Competition Reach
The department increases its participation in national engineering challenges to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Chemistry
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MIT senior Veronica Calzadilla Sosa is expanding student participation in competitive chemical engineering, including regional events like ChemE Cube and ChemE Sports. This effort aims to foster community and provide collaborative problem-solving opportunities for undergraduates within the department.
Why it matters
By scaling involvement in industry-standard challenges, students gain practical experience in process optimization and plant design. These programs bridge the gap between academic theory and the collaborative workflows common in professional chemical engineering.
The ChemE Cube challenge mandates the design and construction of a functional miniature chemical plant within a strict 1-cubic-foot constraint. In contrast, ChemE Sports focuses on real-time optimization of a virtual chemical plant environment.
The players
Veronica Calzadilla Sosa
An MIT senior and student leader who transferred from Miami Dade College and has completed professional internships at the FDA and industry firms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A research university with a prominent Department of Chemical Engineering that manages various student-led technical competitions.
The details
The MIT team leverages these competitions to apply chemical engineering principles outside the classroom. ChemE Sports requires participants to manage process variables in a simulated environment, while ChemE Cube demands physical hardware miniaturization. Calzadilla Sosa coordinates these efforts through the Department of Chemical Engineering to ensure consistent student recruitment and project management.
Timeline
Last year, Calzadilla Sosa served as the competition chair.
During the current academic year, she serves as vice president of external relations.
The Tech Race
Participation in these events serves as an undergraduate analog to professional process engineering competitions. MIT's expanded footprint follows the national standards set by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers to test student proficiency in plant design and operations.
Undergraduate students at MIT can now access organized pathways for national engineering competitions. This workflow changes how students apply classroom concepts by providing a structured, team-based environment for testing chemical plant models.
The takeaway
Student engagement in these categories highlights the shift toward hands-on, competitive engineering simulations. Watch for future MIT team results in national ChemE Cube rankings to gauge the program's long-term effectiveness.
Further reading
For broader trends in process engineering and academic research, see Chemistry.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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