The University of Missouri-Rolla student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers will host the 2007 Mid-America Regional Student Conference March 30-31.

 Hundreds of chemical engineering students from nine Midwest campuses will converge on the UMR campus for research paper and poster competitions and the challenging ChemE Car Competition, a popular event that requires teams to design and build a shoebox-sized car that can carry an additional load a specified distance. The actual distance and load requirements will be announced moments before the beginning of the competition.

Each team will be judged in two main categories: presentation and performance. The presentation category consists of the presentation of a technical poster about the car and answering judges’ questions. The performance category consists of adjusting the car’s chemical and operating parameters to carry a specified load for a set distance. The winner will be determined by a combined score for traveling the correct distance and for creativity.

Teams compete at the regional conferences, and the top finishers at each regional conference will compete at the national conference in Salt Lake City next fall.

Following the car competition on Saturday, students will participate in a hazardous materials demonstration. For the mock event, students will perform various roles in responding to a “hazardous” release of a chemical substance to the UMR campus.

Prizes for the top student paper presentations will be awarded Saturday evening and the winners will have the opportunity to compete at the national student conference. Regional first and second prize winners receive $200 and $100, respectively. National first, second and third prizes will be $2,000, $1,000, and $500, respectively.