School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering

Dimitrios Papavassiliou, Director
M. Ulli Nollert, Graduate Liaison
Sarkeys Energy Center T-301
100 E. Boyd
Norman, OK 73019-1004
Phone: (405) 325-5811
cbme@ou.edu
www.ou.edu/coe/cbme

General Information 

Chemical engineering was first taught at OU in 1912 and the first graduate degree was granted in 1918. Over the years that followed, the program has developed curricula with traditional strength in fundamentals, while tailoring electives for specializations suited to contemporary and future industrial need. In 1963, the Schools of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering were combined into the School of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. The name was changed in 2008 to the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering (CBME). This was done to reflect increasing activities in the bioengineering area. The name was changed to the School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering in 2023. This was done to reflect the current and anticipated changes in the profession, and the academic and research emphasis shift towards sustainability.

Our dynamic faculty are dedicated to a program of the highest quality and to leadership at the forefront of the profession it serves. This dedication and the cooperative spirit of CBME faculty has fueled a superior level of productivity. The school has developed a very broad base of external research support. A listing of recent research projects shows support from 22 different sources, including the National Science Foundation, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, The Department of Defense, The National Institutes of Health, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, and 10 companies. Every faculty member has an active research program and is expected to receive external funding.

Mission Statement 

The mission of the School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering is to serve the changing needs of society through the training of outstanding engineers in the creation and utilization of chemical engineering knowledge.

Chemical Engineering 

Perhaps the most striking facts about chemical engineering are youth and variety. At the turn of the century people were discontented with simply observing chemical phenomena in the laboratory. Chemical engineering was born out of the desire to use these chemical behaviors to serve people and make the world a better place in which to live. 

The world has entered an extremely critical period because of shortages and/or environmental impacts of nonrenewable energy. The chemical engineer is an important factor in solving problems in production and use of fossil fuel resources, nuclear energy and alternate energy resources, including biofuels and bioenergy. Chemical engineers have made important contributions to the production and refining of petroleum products. They are now playing an important part in liquefaction of natural gas and gasification of coal. The use of alternate energy sources such as biomass, geothermal, ocean thermal differences, and solar are dependent on contributions made by chemical engineers. 

In the space age, chemical engineers are developing nanoengineered materials that will have structural and electronic properties never before encountered. They must perfect processes for life-support systems in other environments. Chemical engineers are needed to provide the fuels for rockets and booster propulsion. They utilize computers to control and analyze complex chemical processes. 

Biotechnology and medicine, which have taken tremendous strides in the past few decades, are quite dependent on the efforts of the chemical engineer. It is the chemical engineer who develops ways to produce new recombinant proteins such as insulin at large scale for mass distribution. The vaccines that have saved a whole generation of children from crippling are available because the chemical engineer worked out the ways to produce them safely and economically. The field of mental health has been revolutionized by drugs, astronomical in cost until the chemical engineer mass-produced them so that they are accessible to nearly everyone who needs them. 

Briefly, the job of the chemical engineer is to make commercial application of the chemist’s and biologist’s discoveries. This is not as easy as it sounds, for enormous problems are encountered when the company tries to produce by the ton material that the chemist made by the milligram in the laboratory. The chemical engineer works in a variety of industries, not only the chemical industry, but also in fields of computer systems, electronic materials, environmental control, pharmaceuticals, leather, metals, space, fertilizers, textiles, glass, detergents, paper, food, pesticides, paint, and rubber. New fields are constantly being added. 

It is the chemical engineer who develops an economical process for producing a marketable product. The development of penicillin is just such a case. The chemist Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the wonder antibiotic in a Petri dish in his laboratory. The batches produced in a laboratory can hardly supply the millions of people around the world that need the drug, and the cost of a prescription would be exorbitant. Chemical engineers had to develop a continuous process for producing penicillin. Through the efforts of these engineers, millions of lives have been saved. 

There are many other kinds of jobs for chemical engineers. A chemical engineer in plant operations must supervise the production process to see that the plant produces a scheduled amount of high-quality material economically. To do this, the engineer is very much involved in managing people and machines. 

The research chemical engineer has an analytical mind and likes to solve problems in the technical frontier. If the engineer plans to concentrate on research, exploring new areas and applying untried methods, an advanced chemical engineering degree is probably needed. 

Still another type of job appeals to many chemical engineers. This is technical sales. The material that is produced in a plant must be sold. The salesman needs extensive technical training because technical people are the customers. 

All chemical engineering jobs — plant operations, research and development, and technical sales — may lead into management or executive positions if the chemical engineer is interested in the broad aspects of a company’s business. 

There are, of course, major fields besides industry that need chemical engineers. College teaching, for instance, is offering more and more to the engineer, particularly if the person is research-minded. Many college teachers are, in addition, consultants to industry, and the government too is constantly improving the opportunities for chemical engineers in its service. Private research institutes call for chemical engineers. A chemical engineer may choose to work in practically any field. 

The curriculum in chemical engineering at the University of Oklahoma is planned to prepare students for the design, construction, and operation of processes in which materials undergo chemical, biological, and physical change. Graduates are prepared to accept a job in chemical engineering practice or to continue studies in graduate school. 

Since the chemical engineer must be acquainted with so many diversified subjects, the education at the University is necessarily broad. Students receive solid foundations in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering courses which will prepare them to apply effectively these fundamental principles to the solution of engineering problems. In addition, students in the biotechnology engineering elective patterns receive training in our pre-medical/ biomedical life science and bioengineering courses. Because computers play a vital role in the solution of many chemical engineering problems, students are required to use modern computational tools in their coursework. In addition, there is increasing emphasis on electives in the life sciences and humanistic-social studies. Because of this broad educational background, the engineer is better prepared to accept leadership in the community, as well as in the company, in a management capacity.  

Programs & Facilities

Facilities 

Laboratories and offices for chemical engineering are located in Sarkeys Energy Center, Carson Engineering Center, and Stephenson Research and Technology Center. Facilities include a unit operations laboratory and laboratories dedicated to research in separations and purification, polymers, small angle x-ray scattering, catalysis, biomass conversion and biofuels, thin films, biomedical and biotechnology, and surfactants and other graduate research project laboratories. We occupy several fully equipped laboratories in Carson Engineering Center focusing on applied surfactant technology and enhanced oil recovery. The facilities in Stephenson includes laboratory areas specifically designed for bioengineering research, and we occupy over 3,000 square feet of the space shared with the Bioengineering Center. Areas of research emphasis include biofuels and bioenergy, nano technology, remediation of polluted soil and water, process systems engineering, bone and vascular tissue engineering, rheology of blood, polymer fibers processing and polymer characterization, biotechnology and biomedical engineering, advanced design, catalysis, electrochemistry, surface modification using ultrathin films, carbon nanotube production, and natural gas utilization. 

Undergraduate Study 

Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering Program Educational Objectives 

Our chemical engineering undergraduate program is preparing our recent graduates to meet the following objectives:

  1. Graduates will perform successfully as professionals in businesses, industries and government.
  2. Graduates will perform successfully in their pursuit of advanced degrees in chemical engineering and other technical or professional fields.
  3. Graduates will continually improve their professional competencies through further training or education.

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Student Outcomes

  • an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  • an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  • an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  •  an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  • an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  • an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  • an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Curriculum in Chemical Engineering

The Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular and Similarly Named Program Criteria.

The degree is offered with three options:

Standard Option

The Standard Option prepares students for a career in the wide variety of chemical process industries or for graduate engineering studies. Technical electives allow emphasis on energy, materials, process systems, environment, or other areas of interest. 

Premedical Option

The Premedical Option is designed so that the student is prepared to enter schools of medicine, dentistry or osteopathic medicine as early as the end of the junior year (although most students who pursue a medical career complete the chemical engineering degree). If the student elects not to enter medical school, a normal chemical engineering degree is obtained, so there is no disadvantage to being in the program. Biology courses useful in preparation for the Medical College Admission Test are scheduled in the junior year. The biomedical engineering pattern is similar to the pre-med pattern, differing in suggested technical electives. 

Pre-med students should consult their Pre-Health and Pre-Medical Professions advisor as well as their Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering advisor for necessary medical school information. 

Bioengineering Option

The Bioengineering Option is designed to prepare the student for work on the engineering of biological systems and systems in which cells and biochemicals are processed. It includes courses in microbiology, biochemistry, and biochemical engineering. The elective sequence requires two additional credit hours over the basic chemical engineering curriculum.

Sustainability Option

The Sustainability Option is designed to prepare the student to fully understand the requirements for achieving sustainability across the wide variety of chemical process industries. Building on this quantitative understanding, the student will be able to modify existing processes as well as design new ones to enhance sustainability. The Option includes courses emphasizing sustainability in both general education electives and technical electives.

Accelerated Dual Degree B.S./M.S. 

(Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular and Similarly Named Program Criteria.)

The School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering offers one accelerated dual degree (B.S./M.S.) program to qualified undergraduate students. The programs allow students to pursue a graduate degree in conjunction with the undergraduate degree requirements. Students admitted into this program can use up to four courses (12 credit hours) to simultaneously satisfy the requirements of both the B.S. and M.S. degrees. 

Graduate Study 

The School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological & Materials Engineering offers master and doctor of philosophy degrees in chemical engineering. Research can be in a variety of areas including: advanced energy systems, biochemical and biomedical engineering, catalysis, process optimization, nanotechnology, novel separation methods, polymers, reaction kinetics, surface science, thermodynamics and thin films.

Any student with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering or its equivalent from an accredited school and a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) during the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework may be admitted as a student in full standing. 

Master of Science 

The Chemical Engineering, Master of Science curriculum is available for students with an undergraduate degree in chemistry, physics, biology, or a similar area and high qualifications. Students who have their degree in an area other than chemical engineering will likely have to take additional courses besides those listed in the special curriculum. Interested students can contact the school for more information.

The Sustainability - Energy and Materials Management, Master of Science intends to enable graduates from a variety of undergraduate disciplines to fast progress their careers via developing strong capabilities in identifying and implementing engineering solutions to achieve sustainable development for our society.

Doctor of Philosophy 

The School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering offers the Doctor of Philosophy degree program in Chemical Engineering. Students can apply directly for the Ph.D. degree without obtaining an M.S. degree first. 

Courses

CH E 2003. Chemical Engineering Computing/Statistics.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CHE 2033 (or concurrent enrollment in CHE 2033), and MATH 1823 or 1914 or concurrent enrollment. Introduction to engineering computing and programming using prevalent engineering computing software; program design and development; computer application exercises in engineering. Basic statistical concepts. Computer application exercise in engineering and statistics. (Sp)

CH E 2033. Chemical Engineering Fundamentals.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: MATH 1823 or 1914, and CHEM 1415 or CHEM 1425 or CHEM 1435 or equivalent. Material balances involving physical equilibria and chemical reaction; energy balances; gas behavior including vapor pressure and Raoult's Law. (F, Sp)

CH E 3113. Momentum, Heat and Mass Transfer I.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CH E 2033; MATH 2443 or 2934 or concurrent enrollment in 2443 or 2934; completion or concurrent enrollment in PHYS 2524 and completion or concurrent enrollment in MATH 3113. The common mathematical and physical basis of these processes is presented. Calculation methods for all three processes are developed. Design procedures of equipment for fluid flow, heat transfer and diffusional processes are given. (Sp)

CH E 3123. Momentum, Heat and Mass Transfer II.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CH E 3113 and MATH 3113. The common mathematical and physical basis of these processes is presented. Calculation methods for all three processes are developed. Design procedures of equipment for fluid flow, heat transfer and diffusional processes are given. (F)

CH E 3313. Structure and Properties of Materials.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CHEM 1415 or CHEM 1425 or CHEM 1435, PHYS 2524, and CHE 3123 or instructor permission. The behavior of materials under various conditions and environments is correlated to atomic and molecular structure and bonding. (Sp)

CH E 3333. Separation Processes.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CH E 3123 and CH E 3473. Coverage of the fundamentals and modeling techniques of various separation processes found in the chemical process industries. Discussion of various computational approaches for binary and multicomponent separations; factors affecting efficiency, capacity and energy requirements. (Sp)

CH E 3432. Unit Operations Laboratory.2 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CH E 3123, CH E 3333 or concurrent enrollment in CH E 3333, and CH E 3473. Experimental examination of processes involving fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, kinetics and process control. Process parameters and physical properties are measured. Results are presented in written reports and oral presentations. Laboratory. (Sp)

CH E 3440. Mentored Research Experience.3 Credit Hours.

0 to 3 hours. Prerequisites: ENGL 1113 or equivalent, and permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit 12 hours. For the inquisitive student to apply the scholarly processes of the discipline to a research or creative project under the mentorship of a faculty member. Student and instructor should complete an Undergraduate Research & Creative Projects (URCP) Mentoring Agreement and file it with the URCP office. Not for honors credit. (F, Sp, Su)

CH E 3473. Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CH E 2033, CH E 3113, MATH 2443 or 2934, and CHEM 3423; junior standing. Application of the first and second laws of thermodynamics to the analysis of phase change, solution behavior and chemical equilibria and reaction. (F)

CH E 3723. Numerical Methods for Engineering Computation.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CHE 2003 and MATH 3113 or 3413. Course uses specific software applications tailored toward chemical engineering. Basic methods for obtaining numerical solutions with a digital computer. Included are methods for the solutions of algebraic and transcendental equations, simultaneous linear equations, ordinary and partial differential equations, and curve fitting techniques. The methods are compared with respect to computational efficiency and accuracy. (F)

CH E 3953. Undergraduate Research.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Students work on an individual research project in Chemical Engineering. (F, Sp, Su)

CH E 3960. Honors Reading.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: admission to Honors Program. May be repeated; maximum credit six hours. Consists of topics designated by the instructor in keeping with the student's major program. Covers materials not usually presented in the regular courses. (F, Sp, Su)

CH E 3970. Honors Seminar.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: admission to Honors Program. May be repeated; maximum credit six hours. The projects covered will vary. Deals with concepts not usually presented in regular coursework. (Irreg.)

CH E 3983. Honors Research.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Admission to Honors Program, and instructor permission. Provides an opportunity for the Honors candidate to work on a special project in the student's field. Laboratory (F, Sp, Su)

CH E G4153. Process Dynamics and Control.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: 4473. Formulation of first-order models for storage tanks, chemical reactors and heated, stirred tanks; transient and steady-state process dynamics; three-mode control of unit operations; higher-order systems and counter-current operations; analog simulation and digital control of chemical processes. (F)

CH E 4203. Bioengineering Principles.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: MATH 3113 and PHYS 2524. Principles of bioengineering including biomechanics of solids and fluids and mass transfer as they apply to the human body, biomaterials, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. (F, Sp)

CH E G4253. Process Design & Safety.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or CH E 3333. Processes and process equipment design including safety considerations; technical design of units combined into plants. (F)

CH E G4262. Chemical Engineering Design Laboratory.2 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CH E 3432 and CH E 4253 or concurrent enrollment in CH E 4253. Experimental techniques for the acquisition of pilot plant data, using unit operations equipment and reactors for use in process design. Results are presented in written reports and oral presentations. Laboratory. (F)

CH E G4273. Advanced Process Design.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CH E 3333, CH E 4153, CH E 4253, CH E 4262, and CH E 4473. Process and process equipment design, complete design of process plants including complete flow sheets, estimated plant costs, costs of process development, economics of investment. Results are presented in written reports and oral presentations. (Sp) [V].

CH E 4281. Engineering Co-Op Program.1 Credit Hour.

(Crosslisted with AME, CEES, C S, ECE, EPHY, ISE and BME 4281) Prerequisite: Departmental permission and junior standing. May be repeated; maximum credit 6 hours. The Co-Op program provides students an opportunity to enhance their education via career exploration in related professional work experiences. Course assignments help students articulate their experiences by completing journals; mid-term paper; final paper and/or final presentation. Faculty receive an evaluation from the student's Co-Op supervisor who monitors performance. Faculty collaborate with the Co-Op supervisor to ensure student success. (F, Sp, Su)

CH E 4323. Chemical Process Sustainability.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CHE 4253. Concepts of sustainability relevant to chemical processes, including energy and waste minimization, reduction, of greenhouse gas emissions, economic impact of sustainable practices. (Sp)

CH E 4423. Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.3 Credit Hours.

(Slashlisted with CH E 5423; Crosslisted with BME 4423) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor for upper-class undergraduates. The course will cover state-of-the-art technologies of manipulating and controlling genes and genomes with a goal of engineering human and non-human cells for health and industrial applications. No student may earn credit for both 4423 and 5423. (F)

CH E G4473. Kinetics.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: 3473, 3723, Mathematics 3113. Fundamentals of rates, homogeneous isothermal reactions, non-isothermal reactions, reactors and design, heterogeneous reactions, fixed and fluidized bed reactors, experimental data reduction, non-ideal flow reaction systems. (Sp)

CH E 4953. Undergraduate Research II.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CHE 3953 and permission of instructor. Students interested in pursuing and advanced Chemical Engineering degree work on an individual research project in Chemical Engineering. (F, Sp, Su)

CH E 4960. Directed Readings.1-4 Credit Hours.

1 to 4 hours. Prerequisite: good standing in University; permission of instructor and dean. May be repeated; maximum credit four hours. Designed for upper-division students who need opportunity to study a specific problem in greater depth than formal course content permits. (Irreg.)

CH E 4970. Special Topics/Seminar.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: Senior standing or permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Special topics or seminar course for content not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. May include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. (Irreg.)

CH E 4983. Honors Research II.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: CHE 3983, admission to Honors Program and instructor permission. Honors students interested in pursuing an advanced CH E degree work on an individual research project in Chemical Engineering. (F, Sp, Su)

CH E 4990. Independent Study.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: Senior standing and permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Contracted independent study for a topic not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. Independent study may include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. (Irreg.)

CH E 5003. Management & Leadership.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: MATH 1914 or equivalent and graduate standing. The graduates will master the differences between management and leadership, will be able to assemble teams based on main personality traits, will effectively design risk mitigation strategies, and will be proficient in managing financial resources. Invited speakers from academia and industry will allow the graduates understand that effective management/leadership depends on the circumstances. (F)

CH E 5013. Decision & Risk Analysis.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: MATH 1914 or equivalent and graduate standing. The graduates will master methods for predicting capital and operational costs of chemical plants, approaches for the quantification of uncertainties and how such uncertainty could affect the profitability of industrial operations, and the most common approaches for decision making in industry, with their pros and cons. Industrial speakers will provide a framework for the material discussed in class. (Sp)

CH E 5023. Challenge Group Project.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: MATH 1914 or equivalent and graduate standing. The Challenge consists primarily of a group research project on a topic relevant to the MS in Sustainability. Projects will be offered by Faculty members in the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering. The instructor will coordinate the activities and assign some individual tasks. Specialistic presentations will be offered to support the projects development. (Su)

CH E 5033. Environmental Separations.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: MATH 1914 or equivalent and graduate standing. The graduates will master fundamentals and applied aspects of: 1. Sustainable aspects of gas and liquid separations 2. Emergent technologies for the prevention and remediation of liquid contamination. The course will cover existing technologies, as well as current cutting-edge research in these fields, with an emphasis on the potential applicability in the field. (F)

CH E 5043. Business Sustainability.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: MATH 1914 or equivalent and graduate standing. The graduates will be able to plan and assess the efficacy of business strategies to ensure the sustainability of commercial operations. In particular, the graduates will be able to (a) Achieve and maintain the social license to operate; (b) Operate within the boundaries of environmental regulations; and (c) Promote the goals of a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work force. (Sp)

CH E 5053. Carbon Capture & Utilization.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: MATH 1914 or equivalent and graduate standing. The graduates will quantify pros and cons of cutting-edge technologies available for capturing, storing, and utilizing CO2 (CCUS). They will become familiar with technological developments in catalysis (for carbon utilization), materials design (carbon capture), and sequestration (geological repositories, hydrates, mineralization, direct capture from air). The graduates will quantify capital and operational costs associated with these technologies. (Sp)

CH E 5133. Water Sustainability.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with CEES 5133) Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor. Introduction to water reclamation and reuse. Wastewater characteristics. Conventional approaches for wastewater treatment. Emerging materials and technologies for water remediation. Water reuse applications and outlook. (Irreg.)

CH E 5143. Multiscale Modeling of Matter.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. The course is suitable for students who are already familiar with classical thermodynamics, differential and integral calculus. This course covers multiscale modeling methods at atomistic and meso scales. By a combination of method discussions and hands-on tutorials, students will learn fundamentals of structures and properties of matter. Both molecular dynamics simulation and Monte Carlo method will be discussed in detail. (F)

CH E 5163. Heterogeneous Catalysis.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Physical characterization of heterogeneous catalysts; catalytic activity of metals, semiconductors, solid acids, and shape-selective materials. Theories of catalytic activity, catalytic reactors, basics of catalyst surface characterization and activity measurement. (F)

CH E 5183. Graduate Transport Phenomena.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Fundamentals of the theory of transport process; heat, mass, momentum transfer combined with chemical reactions; derivation of different equations to describe processes and process units; analytical and numerical solutions of systems of describing equations. (F)

CH E 5213. Experimental Methods in Materials Research.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Course will focus on theory and application of experimental techniques to characterize hard and soft materials including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. This course will include lectures, lab visits with demonstrations, and hands-on laboratory activities. (Sp)

CH E 5223. Refining Principles.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Introduction to petroleum refining and how feedstocks are valued and selected. Covers more in-depth operation and modeling of several treatment and conversion processes including hydrotreating, catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, and coking. Additional concepts covered include crude oil fractionation, solids handling, and an introduction to several supporting processes. (Sp)

CH E 5233. Colloidal Assembly.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. The aim of this course is to provide fundamental knowledge of colloid and interface science with a focus on the assembly phenomenon at the nano and colloidal scale. The concepts discussed in this class will equip students with essential skills helpful in understanding and analyzing literature that entails colloidal building blocks. (F)

CH E 5243. Biochemical Engineering.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with BME 5243) Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Current bioprocesses for reaction and separation with emphasis on fundamental principles of chemical engineering, biochemistry, and microbiology. (Sp)

CH E 5263. Industrial and Environmental Transport Processes.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. This course is designed to introduce students to areas in transport phenomena that are critical to common applications. We will cover theory, predictive modeling, applications and numerical methods for multiphase flows (gas-liquid and flows with small particles), turbulent flows with transport of heat or mass, and (time permitting) microfluidics. (Sp)

CH E 5293. Transport in Biological Systems.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with BME 5293) Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Theoretical and practical aspects of transport phenomena in living organisms and biomedical technologies. Applications include hemorheology, drug delivery, extracorporeal circulation, and artificial organs. (Irreg.)

CH E 5323. Sustainable Engineering Principles.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Basic concepts of sustainability will be discussed including elements relevant to materials manufacturing, chemical processes, energy production, waste minimization, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Emphasis will be given to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Students will also learn to quantify the environmental impact of materials, products and processes via the implementation of a life cycle assessment. (F)

CH E 5333. Sustainable Polymer Manufacturing.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Course will provide opportunities for students to develop skills necessary to understand the basic principles of polymer life cycles, polymer properties and environmental footprints, manufacturing, design guidelines for sustainability, and recycling/upcycling. Provides an overview of the contradictory positive and negative characteristics of polymers with respect to sustainability. Discuss conventional processing and additive manufacturing methods for producing polymeric parts and goods. (F)

CH E 5343. Sustainable Process Design.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. This course will cover concepts of sustainable design of chemical processes, including issues related to energy usage and GHG emissions, long-term availability of raw materials, and changes to process design that can lead to sustainable outcomes, including 'green' chemistry options. (Sp)

CH E 5353. Emerging Technologies toward Water Sustainability.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. This course will provide an introduction to water reclamation and reuse, wastewater characteristics, conventional approaches for wastewater treatment, emerging materials and technologies for water remediation, and water reuse applications and outlook. (F)

CH E 5373. Tissue Engineering.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with BME 5373) Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Examines the background and recent advances in the science of combining multiple cell types with an appropriate support to provide a construct that can replace or support damaged tissue. (Irreg.)

CH E 5393. Rheology of Complex Fluids.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with P E 5393) Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Develop skills necessary to understand the basic principles of rheological and viscoelastic properties of complex fluids, such as polymer melts and solutions, emulsions, suspensions, multiphase flow, etc. Covers the flow behavior of non-Newtonian fluids and viscoelastic fluids. Newtonian fluid mechanics will be reviewed to describe the standard flows for rheology. Rheometry, the technique for characterization of fluids, will be discussed. (Sp)

CH E 5423. Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.3 Credit Hours.

(Slashlisted with CH E 4423; Crosslisted with BME 5423) Prerequisite: Graduate standing in CBME or SBME, or permission of instructor. The course will cover state-of-the-art technologies of manipulating and controlling genes, genomes and cellular pathways with a goal of engineering human (stem) cells and microbes for health, environmental and industrial applications. No student may earn credit for both 4423 and 5423. (F)

CH E 5453. Polymer Science and Engineering.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with BME 5453) Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. This course will be focused on the synthesis, characterization, processing, and properties of state-of-the-art polymeric and multicomponent polymeric materials. Students should come into the course with a background knowledge of polymers such as that found in an Engineering Materials and/or Organic Chemistry Course. (Sp)

CH E 5463. Polymer Processing.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. The theory and practice of the production of finished polymer shapes (tubes, sheets, fibers, bottles, etc.) from polymeric raw materials. (Alt. F)

CH E 5480. Topics in Chemical Engineering.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission of instructor. May be repeated with change of content. Seminar course in specialized topics in chemical engineering. (Irreg.)

CH E 5523. Advanced Mathematical Methods in Science and Engineering.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Scale and vector field theory. Ordinary and partial differential equations. Matrix algebra. Complex analysis. (F)

CH E 5533. Materials Design for Energy Application.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. This course is focused on electrochemical engineering and its application in several energy-related research areas such as lithium ion batteries, fuel cells, and water electrolysis and photolysis. We will introduce basic principles of electrochemistry and materials science and discuss various issues in these energy-related applications and how to address them from a materials science and engineering perspective. (Irreg.)

CH E 5673. Colloid and Surface Science.3 Credit Hours.

(Crosslisted with CEES 5673) Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor. Capillarity, surface thermodynamics, adsorption from vapor and liquid phases, contact angles, micelle formation, solubilization, emulsions and foams. Applications to be discussed include detergency, enhanced oil recovery and adsorption for pollution control. (Irreg.)

CH E 5843. Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Advanced thermodynamics as applied to engineering problems and design. (F)

CH E 5960. Directed Readings.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing and permission of department. May be repeated; maximum credit twelve hours. Directed readings and/or literature reviews under the direction of a faculty member. (F, Sp, Su)

CH E 5970. Special Topics/Seminar.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971; May be repeated, maximum credit nine hours. Special topics or seminar course for content not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. May include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. (Irreg.)

CH E 5971. Seminar in Chemical Engineering Research.1 Credit Hour.

Prerequisite: Graduate Standing or departmental permission. Speakers from academia and industry elaborate on methods and results from research in their areas of expertise to provide the student with an appreciation of the problems of current interest in chemical engineering. (F, Sp)

CH E 5980. Research for Master's Thesis.2-9 Credit Hours.

Variable enrollment, two to nine hours; maximum credit applicable toward degree, six hours. Laboratory (F, Sp, Su)

CH E 5990. Independent Study.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Contracted independent study for a topic not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. Independent study may include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. (Irreg.)

CH E 6723. Advanced Kinetics and Reaction Engineering.3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971. Understanding and analysis of complex kinetics and reactor systems: free radical and cracking reactions, polymerization, biokinetics and catalytic kinetics with mass heat transfer limitations. Advanced reactor systems such as catalytic fixed bed reactors in one- and two-dimensions, equilibrium limited reaction systems, fluidized and trickle bed reactors, etc. are considered. (F)

CH E 6960. Directed Readings.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit six hours. Directed readings and/or literature review under the direction of a faculty member. (Irreg.)

CH E 6970. Special Topics/Seminar.1-3 Credit Hours.

1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission of instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit 12 hours. Special topics or seminar course for content not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. May include library and/or research and field projects. (Irreg.)

CH E 6980. Research for Doctoral Dissertation.2-16 Credit Hours.

2 to 16 hours. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering Graduate standing or permission of instructor; CH E 5971 Laboratory. Directed research culminating in the completion of the doctoral dissertation. (F, Sp, Su)

CH E 6990. Special Chemical Engineering Problems.1-2 Credit Hours.

1 to 2 Hours. Prerequisite: permission. May be repeated; maximum credit four hours. Special research problems are pursued by the students either as individuals or as a group under staff direction. (F, Sp, Su)

Faculty

Last Name First/Middle Name Middle init. OU Service start Title(s), date(s) appointed Degrees Earned, Schools, Dates Completed
Bajpai Vivek 2023 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (2015) Univ at Buffalo-SUNY; M.S. Biological Sciences & Bioengineering (2008) Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (India); M.B.B.S. Medicine & Surgery (2005) Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College (India)
Bui Ngoc 2020 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING 2020 PhD, Univ of Connecticut, 2014; MS Chonnam National Univ, 2007; BS HoChiMinh City Univ of Technology, 2005
Crossley Steven 2011 PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2017; SAM A. WILSON PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, 2017; ROGER AND SHERRY TEIGEN PRESIDENTIAL PROFESSOR, 2017 PhD, Univ of Oklahoma, 2009; BS, Univ of Oklahoma, 2004
Foudazi Reza 2021 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING 2021 Doctorate of Technology in Chemical Engineering, Cape Peninsula Univ of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa (2007 – 2010); Master in Polymer Engineering at Amirkabir Univ of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran (2002 – 2004); Bachelor in Polymer Engineering, Amirkabir Univ of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran (1998 – 2002)
Galizia Michele 2017 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2017 PhD, Univ of Bologna 2010; MS, Univ of Bologna, 2006
Gao Jie 2018 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2018 PhD, East China Univ of Science & Tech, 2010; BS, East China Univ of Science & Tech, 2005
Grady Brian 1994 PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2005; PRESIDENT'S ASSOCIATES PRESIDENTIAL PROFESSOR, 2006 PhD, Univ of Wisconsin, 1994; BS, Univ of Illinois, 1987
Gunasooriya G.T. Kasun Kalhara 2022 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (2019) Ghent Univ, Belgium; M.Eng. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (2014) National Univ of Singapore (NUS), Singapore; B.Eng. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (2011) National Univ of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
Hahn Horst 2022 DISTINGUISH MATERIALS RESEARCH PROFESSOR Ph.D. Materials Physics (1982) Technical Univ Berlin; B.S. Materials Science (1978) Univ of Saarland, Saarbrücken
Harrison Roger G 1988 PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2007; PROFESSOR OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, 2016 PhD, Univ of Wisconsin, 1975; MS, Univ of Wisconsin, 1969; BS, Univ of Oklahoma, 1967
Huang Liangliang (Paul) 2014 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2014 PhD, North Carolina State Univ 2012; BS, Nanjing Univ of Tech, 2003
Klier John 2020 GCOE DEAN, AT&T CHAIR, PROFESSOR B.S. in Chemical Engineering Massachussets Institute of Technology 1984; M.S. in Chemical Engineering Purdue 1986; Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering Purdue 1989
Lobban Lance L 1987 FRANCIS W. WINN CHAIR IN CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2000; PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2000; LLOYD G. AND JOYCE AUSTIN PRESIDENTIAL PROFESSOR, 2000 PhD, Univ of Houston, 1987; BS, Univ of Kansas, 1981
Nollert Matthias U ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 1997 PhD, Cornell Univ, 1987; BS, Univ of Virginia, 1981
O'Rear Edgar A. 1981 PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 1991; DIRECTOR, OKLAHOMA BIOENGINEERING CENTER, 2001; FRANCIS W. WINN PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2001 PhD, Rice Univ, 1981; SM, Mass Inst of Tech, 1977; BS, Rice Univ, 1975
Papavassiliou Dimitrios 1999 PRESIDENT'S ASSOCIATES PRESIDENTIAL PROFESSOR, 2006; PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2009; C.M. SLIEPCEVICH PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, 2014 PhD, Univ of Illinois, 1996; MS, Univ of Illinois, 1993; BS, Aristotle Univ, 1989
Razavi Sepideh 2018 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2018 PhD, City College of New York, 2015; MS, City College of New York, 2012; MS, Sharif Univ of Tech, 2007; BS, Arak Univ, 2005
Resasco Daniel E 1993 GEORGE LYNN CROSS RESEARCH PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2003; GALLOGLY CHAIR IN ENGINEERING, 2016 PhD, Yale Univ, 1983; BS, Universidad Nacional del Sur, 1975
Sikavitsas Vassilios 2002 PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2018; UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES CHAIR, 2016 PhD, SUNY at Buffalo, 2000; MS, SUNY at Buffalo, 1995; Diploma , Aristotle Univ, 1991
Striolo Alberto 2021 PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING 2021; ASAHI GLASS CHAIR IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, LLOYD AND JANE AUSTIN PRESIDENTIAL PROFESSOR PhD in Chemical Engineering (2002) Univ of Padova, Italy; BS in Chemical Engineering (1998) Univ of Padova (Italy)
Wang Bin 2014 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 2014 PhD, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 2010; BA, East China Univ of Science & Tech, 2004