New York Tech’s Anid Elected as American Institute of Chemical Engineers Fellow

Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., vice president for Strategic Communications and External Affairs, has been elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the world’s leading organization for chemical engineering professionals. Nominated by peers and elected by the AIChE Board of Directors, Fellow is the highest grade of membership in the organization, which boasts over 60,000 members across more than 110 countries. Each Fellow must have attained a minimum of 25 years of experience and demonstrated significant service to the profession of chemical engineering.

“A distinguished scholar, academic leader, and AIChE member for nearly 20 years, Dr. Anid’s service to the chemical engineering profession and STEM education at large have inspired colleagues, high school and college students, and—most notably—young girls who wish to pursue careers in chemistry, biology, engineering, and other fields of science,” said New York Institute of Technology President Hank Foley, Ph.D., in his nomination letter. “It is my firm belief that she exemplifies the best ideals of AIChE membership—fostering connectivity, education, diversity, and innovation—which she continues to demonstrate in every aspect of her distinguished career.”

“This honor reaffirms the high esteem with which your colleagues and peers view your distinctive professional achievements and accomplishments,” wrote June Wispelwey, AIChE executive director and CEO, in a letter to Anid. 

“In my collaboration with Dr. Anid in AIChE activities, she has employed her depth of expertise in chemical engineering within environmental and sustainability applications, leading with clear vision to achieve excellent results, while also inspiring all members to contribute,” said Mary Ellen Ternes, Esq., partner in the Oklahoma City office of D.C.-based Earth & Water Law, LLC, and president-elect of the American College of Environmental Lawyers, an organization dedicated to the development of environmental law at state and federal levels.

Professionally, Anid is vice president for Strategic Communications and External Affairs, an office created in May 2018 dedicated to articulating New York Tech’s mission as a premier polytechnic that fosters technology innovation and entrepreneurship. A results-oriented leader with astute business acumen, Anid had served since 2009 as the first female dean of what is now the NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences. As dean, she spearheaded the creation of the university’s NSA/DHS National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, its federally and state-funded Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC), and its Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology, and Innovation (NYSTAR)-certified business incubator.

Highlights of significant career milestones and community impact include:

• Serving as role model and advocate for women pursing education and career opportunities in STEM fields, her efforts in this area include her book, The Internet of Women: Accelerating Culture Change.
• Playing an instrumental role in launching the Women’s Technology Council, a group of female leaders whose goal it is to empower and inspire others within the New York Tech community and beyond.
• Serving on several nonprofit boards as well as the Managing Board of the Institute of Sustainability of AIChE and its Corporate Council.
• Chairing the AIChE Public Affairs and Information Committee.
• Serving as expert reviewer/editor for the federal government and several engineering journals.

Anid is also is the recipient of several awards, including the Long Island Software and Technology Network (LISTnet) Diamond Award and the INSIGHT into Diversity magazine 100 Inspiring Women in STEM Award in 2015. Additionally, Long Island Business News named her one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business Awardees on three different occasions in recognition of her achievements in workforce and economic development.

Her major scientific contribution is her pioneering work on the role of vitamin B12 and other organometallic coenzymes in the dechlorination of important toxic molecules such as carbon tetrachloride and polychlorinated biphenyls.

Anid earned her Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.