Welcome

Recent curriculum revisions have provided our department the opportunity to reflect upon some of the characteristics we seek to develop in our students. First and foremost, we want our graduates to be competent in the modern aspects of Chemical and Life Science Engineering (CLSE). Our formal instruction is devoted to ensuring that CLSE students know how to work with mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, as well as the other traditional elements of this discipline. A graduate without these competences cannot perform the tasks expected of a chemical engineer.

But there is growing awareness of the importance of other characteristics, some of which are interrelated and all of which assume competence, that we strive to develop in all of our students. These include creativity, integrity, leadership, teamwork, initiative, global perspective, and confidence. The Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering is uniquely positioned to provide our students with the opportunity to achieve these critically important skills at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels.

The undergraduate experience in CLSE includes the opportunity to select a traditional curriculum of chemical engineering coursework as well as electives in the areas of life science engineering. VCU’s prominence in the field of health sciences provides the academic infrastructure to enhance the life science component of this program. Because of the close affiliation along with and physical proximity to the VCU School of Business, students will also have the opportunity to grasp the ever important business perspective of this discipline.

Graduate research interests in Chemical and Life Science Engineering currently range from the development of bio-materials and alternative energy sources to tissue engineering, stem cell research and pharmaceutical process development. In each of these areas of research, active collaborations have been established linking CLSE to the medical, life science and related disciplines within the VCU research community.

As department chair, I encourage you to explore this site to learn more about our offerings and groundbreaking research. We look forward to hearing from you.