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Department: Chemical Engineering

Contacts

Office: Shriram Center for Bioengineering & Chemical Engineering, 443 Via Ortega, Room 129
Mail Code: MC 4300
Email: chemicalengineering@stanford.edu
Web Site: http://cheme.stanford.edu

Courses offered by the Department of Chemical Engineering are listed under the subject code CHEMENG on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.

Research investigations are currently being carried out in the following fields: applied statistical mechanics, biocatalysis, bioengineering, biophysics, colloid science, computational materials science, electronic materials, hydrodynamic stability, kinetics and catalysis, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, polymer science, renewable energy, rheo-optics of polymeric systems, and surface and interface science. Additional information may be found at http://cheme.stanford.edu.

The Department of Chemical Engineering offers opportunities for both undergraduates and graduate students to pursue course work and research in energy sciences and technology, which include the chemical, physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences. 

In addition, both undergraduates and graduate students can pursue work in interdisciplinary biosciences, which include the chemical, biological, physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences. Students are encouraged to review course offerings in all departments of the School of Engineering and to seek academic advising with individual chemical engineering faculty. Students wishing assistance should talk with student services staff in the department.

Further information about the department also may be found on the department's website. Undergraduates considering majoring in Chemical Engineering are encouraged to talk with faculty and to meet with student services' staff in Shriram room 129. Students interested in pursuing advanced work in chemical engineering, including coterminal degrees, should contact the student services manager. Admission to an advanced degree program for an active Stanford graduate student is by approval of a Graduate Authorization Petition. All other interested applicants should go to the Graduate Admissions website for general and departmental information about the requirements and processes for applying for admission to a graduate degree program.

Mission of the Undergraduate Program in Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineers are responsible for the conception and design of processes for the purpose of production, transformation, and transportation of materials. This activity begins with experimentation in the laboratory and is followed by implementation of the technology in full-scale production. The mission of the undergraduate program in Chemical Engineering is to develop students' understanding of the core scientific, mathematical, and engineering principles that serve as the foundation underlying these technological processes. The program's core mission is reflected in its curriculum which is built on a foundation in the sciences of chemistry, physics, and biology. Course work includes the study of applied mathematics, material and energy balances, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, energy and mass transfer, separations technologies, chemical reaction kinetics and reactor design, and process design. The program provides students with excellent preparation for careers in the corporate sector and government or for advanced study.

Graduate Programs in Chemical Engineering

The University’s requirements, including residency requirements, for the M.S., Engineer, and Ph.D. degrees are summarized in the Graduate Degrees section of this bulletin.

Current research and teaching activities cover a number of advanced topics in chemical engineering, including applied statistical mechanics, biocatalysis, biochemical engineering, bioengineering, biophysics, computational materials science, colloid science, dynamics of complex fluids, energy conversion, functional genomics, hydrodynamic stability, kinetics and catalysis, microrheology, molecular assemblies, nanoscience and technology, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, polymer physics, protein biotechnology, renewable fuels, semiconductor processing, soft materials science, solar utilization, surface and interface science, and transport mechanics.

Fellowships and Assistantships

Qualified predoctoral applicants are encouraged to apply for nationally competitive fellowships, for example, those from the National Science Foundation. Applicants to the Ph.D. program should consult with their financial aid officers for application information and advice. In the absence of other awards, incoming Ph.D. students normally are awarded departmental fellowships. Matriculated Ph.D. students are supported primarily by fellowship awards and assistantship research or teaching appointments. All students are encouraged to apply for external competitive fellowships and may obtain information about various awarding agencies from faculty advisers and student services. Assistantships are paid positions for graduate students that, in addition to a salary, provide the benefit of a tuition allocation. Individual faculty members appoint students to research assistantships; the department chair appoints doctoral students to teaching assistantships. Contact departmental student services for additional information.

Faculty

Emeriti: (Professors) Andreas Acrivos, Curtis W. Frank, George M. Homsy, Robert J. Madix, Channing R. Robertson

Chair: Andrew J. Spakowitz

Professors: Zhenan Bao, Stacey F. Bent, Gerald G. Fuller, Chaitan Khosla, Eric S. G. Shaqfeh, Andrew J. Spakowitz, Alfred M. Spormann, James R. Swartz

Associate Professors: Alexander R. Dunn, Thomas F. Jaramillo, Elizabeth S. Sattely, Roseanna N. Zia

Assistant Professors: Monther Abu-Remaileh, Matteo Cargnello, Xiaojing Gao, Danielle J. Mai, Jian Qin, William A. Tarpeh

Courtesy Professors: Lynette S. Cegelski, Jennifer R. Cochran, Sarah C. Heilshorn, Daniel Herschlag, Ngan Huang, Meagen Mauter, David Myung, H. Tom Soh, Robert M. Waymouth

Lecturers: Katarina Guzman, Sara Loesch-Frank

Adjunct Professors: Ying-Chih Chang, Lisa Y. Hwang, Ricardo Levy, Shari B. Libicki, John Moalli, Howard Rosen, Do Y. Yoon