Women in Science: Verónica Pérez Guevara at the Intersection of Safety and Innovation

In recognition of International Day of Women & Girls in Science, Kuraray America, Inc. is highlighting a few of our women in science who lead with expertise, curiosity and purpose.

In this feature, Verónica Pérez Guevara, Chemical Engineer III, KAI EVAL plant, reflects on the experiences that have shaped how she approaches her work today, where complexity, responsibility, and continuous learning come together in every decision.

Drawn to the complexity of polymer production, Veronica works at the intersection of process design and process control. “The process of producing the polymer is both interesting and challenging,” she says. “It was a great opportunity to learn something different.”

In her role, every decision carries responsibility. “Any decision, calculation, or system you design can impact safety, people, the environment, reliability, and efficiency,” Veronica says. “It’s a big responsibility.”

That responsibility shapes how she approaches engineering in practice:

🦺 Safety first
🌱 Environmental impact
⚙️ Efficiency and reliability

For Veronica, engineering responsibly also means collaboration. “Working with different people and disciplines is the best way to learn,” she explains. Bringing together diverse perspectives leads to better decisions and stronger outcomes.

Veronica contributed to KAI EVAL’s ISCC PLUS certification, preparing the material balance used to track bio-based raw materials and product output.

Beyond the plant, she recommends staying engaged with the broader engineering community, for example participating in conferences and trainings of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, this allows you to learn from peers working in similar fields.