IChemE immediate past president awarded honorary professorship

IChemE immediate past president Mark Apsey has been awarded the “real privilege” of an honorary professorship at his alma mater, the University of Exeter.

Mark was part of the final cohort of graduates from the university’s original chemical engineering course, which returned in 2025 after a 25-year hiatus.

To mark the appointment, Mark delivered an inaugural lecture to first-year engineering students on Engineering a Sustainable Future, reflecting on his career and the environmental challenges they will be expected to tackle.

Around 20 students enrolled onto the chemical engineering undergraduate course, which began in September – joining a wider engineering class of around 300.

The course is being led by programme lead and associate professor in materials engineering, Ana Neves, who spent the last two years putting the course together. The course will provide much-needed chemical engineering expertise in existing research areas at the university.

Mark said: “The conversations with the wider engineering faculty were inspiring, particularly around their research into energy storage technologies and novel materials that convert mechanical work into electricity.”

During his visit, Mark offered students advice on navigating rapid industry change and overcoming imposter syndrome. He told students: “If you do all the simple things, show up, prepare, practise and really think about what it is you’re doing, you may still feel like an imposter, but that will not be how you come across, and people will not see you as an imposter, but as an expert.”

Mark will continue working with the engineering faculty in the coming months to help bridge academia and industry and “accelerate meaningful action”.

What is chemical engineering?

Chemical, biochemical and process engineering is the application of science, mathematics and economics in the process of turning raw materials into everyday, and more specialist, products. Professional chemical engineers design, construct and manage process operations all over the world. Energy, pharmaceuticals, food and drink, synthetic fibres and clean drinking water are just some of the industry sectors and products where chemical engineering plays a central role.

IChemE

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) advances chemical engineering's contribution for the benefit of society. We facilitate the development of chemical engineering professionals and provide connections to a powerful network of around 32,000 members in more than 100 countries. 

We support our members in applying their expertise and experience to make an influential contribution to solving major global challenges, and are the only organisation permitted to award Chartered Chemical Engineer status and Professional Process Safety Engineer registration.