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CORVALLIS - The Oregon State University Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers will host the institute's 2005 regional conference on April 22-23 on the OSU campus, featuring a unique race car competition with vehicles powered solely by chemical reactions.

The conference brings students, faculty and industry members from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia to campus. It includes workshops, a career fair, two competitions, and a banquet with a keynote address by renowned OSU chemical engineering professor emeritus Octave Levenspiel.

"This is the largest conference of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, and we're excited to be hosting it here at Oregon State," said Sean Thomas, a senior in chemical engineering at OSU, and chair of the conference. "This is a great opportunity for the public, and K-12 students and teachers in particular, to get a close look at the exciting field of chemical engineering."

Some of the region's most promising chemical engineers of the future will present current research at the Student Paper Competition on Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Joyce Powell Leadership Center in the OSU Memorial Union.

The student-designed, chemically-powered vehicles will face off in the Chem-E Car Competition in the McAlexander Field House on the same day from noon to 2 p.m. Most events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit the conference website at http://www.aiche2005.com