Apsey comes full circle: IChemE immediate past president welcomes new chemical engineers to Exeter, 25 years after graduating

STUDENTS have returned to the University of Exeter – and for the first time in over 25 years, that includes a new cohort of chemical engineering undergraduates.

Just under 20 students have enrolled in the new chemical engineering bachelor’s course – “more than we hoped,” says programme lead Ana Neves, who began developing the course two years ago.

Around 300 students make up the whole engineering class this year, which along with chemical engineering, civil and mechanical, includes new entrants in robotics and systems engineering.

Uniquely, all students regardless of speciality will spend the first half of their degree in a “common first year”, learning the fundamentals of engineering together, with a focus on mathematics, materials and electronics.

Starting up

To spark interest in chemical engineering, the university invited IChemE and a panel of chemical engineers – from early-career professionals to seasoned experts – to discuss the profession’s vital role in a climate-conscious world.

In a lecture theatre on the university’s Streatham campus, engineering students gathered to hear firsthand from chemical engineering experts about their experiences.

Opening the event with a reflection on the breadth and impact of chemical engineering, Mark Apsey, immediate past president of IChemE, reminded attendees of the profession’s far-reaching influence: “Ours is a profession with extraordinary reach, from energy to water, medicine and manufacturing, to even the devices in our pockets – engineers are behind all of it.”

IChemE Student Ambassador Laura Thompson, now in her second year studying chemical engineering at the University of Bath, spoke about the support she received from IChemE when starting her course. She highlighted the value of free student membership and the sense of community it provides. “Upon signing up [to the membership] you get a whole host of benefits, you can join a special interest group, go on site visits, and get access to IChemE Connect, where you can talk to expert engineers directly,” she said.

Thompson’s advice to students was to “get involved”, specifically through IChemE Student Membership, which had given her access to a network of Student Ambassadors at all levels of education to help her through her academic path.

Further on in their career journey is Evan Rees, who graduated from Swansea University in 2020, and is now an engineering process and compliance manager for Accord Healthcare.

“One of the big things for me when I started my degree was that I wanted to get industry experience and go through the process of becoming Chartered,” he told the audience.

Alongside his undergraduate studies, Rees pursued a Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering at Swansea University, which gave him the opportunity to spend a year working with Tata Steel in Port Talbot.

After completing his degree, Tata offered him a graduate role, where he transitioned from collaborating with material scientists to joining the energy department, contributing to research on electrifying steelmaking.

Rees later moved to the pharmaceutical sector, driven by a desire to gain experience in other clean, sustainability-focused industries. He achieved Chartership through IChemE last year and left students with a clear message: take ownership of your career and embrace responsibility from the outset.

Learning from leadership

“Chemical engineering is more than a profession – it’s a mission, and a passport to different sectors, countries and communities,” said Adesoji Adeyeye, a process engineer at Imerys British Lithium.

Adeyeye has been an engineer for more than 20 years, graduating with a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering from Nigeria’s Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in 2004.

Charting a storied career across food and drink, cement, energy and mining, Adeyeye also chose to return to academia, earning a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of Stirling in Scotland. He told students that both industry and academia had allowed him to take part in conversations that drive societal change – encouraging them to see chemical engineering not just as a job, but as a platform for leadership and decision-making.

Echoing Adeyeye’s sentiment, Apsey drew on more than two decades of industry experience. Now a senior vice-president at renewable energy firm Ameresco, Apsey described his return to Exeter as a “full circle moment”, having been part of the final graduating cohort of the university’s chemical engineering course in 1999, before it was discontinued.

“I had no idea how formative my time at Exeter was going to be for my life, and I am so glad the university is once again a part of the chemical engineering story.”

Like Adeyeye, Apsey has built a career across diverse sectors – starting as a process engineer at AtkinsRealis, moving into biopharma with GSK, and now serving at Ameresco, a renewable energy firm he helped grow from its startup beginnings.

“I do not get to do much engineering as I would like in my role, but I do get to lead a team of engineers who are able to go out into society and deliver projects to save energy and carbon on a large-scale.”

Apsey reinforced this message to students, emphasising that a career in chemical engineering goes beyond core technical work, and that career paths are rarely linear or confined to a single role.

Career on the mind

Although it was only their first week at university, many students already had graduation and future careers on their minds.
One asked the engineers: “What are the best ways we as students can engage with the chemical engineering industry that will set us on a good course upon graduation?”

Apsey emphasised Exeter’s strategic location, noting that students have industry right on their doorstep, with mining in Cornwall and steel production in south Wales.

Adeyeye also said that engagement starts more locally at university, recounting how he secured a mentor in his MSc who opened his mind to working in different sectors.

“Networks form early, from the classroom, from your teachers, and from your mentors, that is your gateway to the industry.”

With the first year now underway, programme lead Neves and fellow associate lecturer Robin Hancocks say the course remains a work in progress – evolving in response to student feedback and industry engagement. As the new cohort settles in, the message from seasoned professionals is clear: chemical engineering is more than a degree, it’s a gateway to global impact and the journey starts now.