Chemical Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Chemical Engineering (ChemE) stands at the forefront of education, research, and innovation. Specializing in critical areas like health and medicine, biofuels, air quality, and process systems engineering, CMU Chemical Engineers are leading the charge toward a healthier, cleaner, and more efficient future for all.

Creating a better future

Programs

Undergraduate

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Master’s

Ph.D.

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering research

ChemE graduates go on to...

Work at companies like:

Accenture
Amazon
Anheuser-Busch
Deloitte
Dow
Eli Lilly and Company
Exxon Mobile
Intel
Merck
Procter & Gamble
PPG

Pursue graduate degrees or careers in academia at universities like:

Carnegie Mellon University
Duke University
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of California Berkeley
University of Florida
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Minnesota
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania

Research areas

Air quality and climate

Biotechnology and pharmaceutical engineering

Catalysis and surface science

Energy, decarbonization, and sustainability

Process systems engineering

Soft materials and complex fluids

News

Dec 17

News & Events

Alum spotlight: Yingkai Song

Yingkai Song (‘16) applies mathematical optimization to help decision-makers in the aviation industry determine when to fly, delay, or cancel certain flights while meeting customer demand.

As Berg Scholars, undergraduates Irene Cui, Yansi Foong, and Juhee Park received funding from the department to present their posters at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers conference.

Cui, Foong, and Park named Berg Scholars

Dec 5

News & Events

Isoprene from rainforests drives new particle formation

The molecules and processes that contribute to atmospheric particle formation are underrepresented in climate models. Experiments at CERN are filling in missing information.

Nov 29

Artificial Intelligence

Multimodal machine learning model increases accuracy

Researchers have developed a novel ML model combining graph neural networks with transformer-based language models to predict adsorption energy of catalyst systems.

Nov 26

Artificial Intelligence

David and Lin honored as Andrew Carnegie Society Scholars

Eleanor David and Jing Lin are recognized for leadership, service, and academic success.

Nov 22

News & Events

ChemE alumna’s fleet decarbonization solution wins hackathon

Saaksshi Jilhewar (ChemE ’23) applied her training in chemical engineering and AI to lead her team to victory in a global hackathon for sustainable and affordable energy.

Nov 14

News & Events

Soy protein research provides entrepreneurial training

Ph.D. student Nader Rezazadeh is developing a novel bioactive scaffold as a wound dressing for chronic wounds. He’s also building a prototype for touch-free application.

Celia Cruz (‘99) and Victor Zavala (‘08) gave keynote addresses at the 46th Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association Research Symposium.

In keynotes, alums share careers with purpose and impact

Oct 30

News & Events

ChEGSA Symposium connects students and alums across years

The 46th Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association Research Symposium continued the tradition of bringing together students, faculty, alums, and industrial guests.

Oct 24

News & Events

Linking chemistry with immune response to advance drug delivery

By filling in the missing link between lipid chemistry and immune response, Kathryn Whitehead is helping to expand the use of lipid nanoparticles beyond RNA vaccines.

Oct 17

News & Events

Student spotlight: Avineet Nanjappa

As co-chair of the Spring Carnival Committee, undergraduate Avineet Nanjappa is focused on process improvement. It’s also the reason she chose to major in chemical engineering.

Oct 11

News & Events

Alum spotlight: Ester Bergen

Motivated by passionate faculty and equipped with foundational chemical engineering skills, Ester Bergen (‘08) has taken her career from Wall Street to Microsoft.

Undergraduate student-athlete Krystal Xiao-Rao is the first recipient of the Waters University Pathway Program internship, scholarship, and mentorship.

Internship deepens team values

Oct 1

News & Events

Scott Institute strengthens partnership with NETL

After a campus visit from the director of the National Energy Technology Lab (NETL), chemical engineering faculty reflect on the history and evolution of research collaborations.

Sep 27

News & Events

They’re forming a band: Model predicts particle interactions

Researchers derived a mathematical model to predict the microscopic structure that particle suspensions will form in systems ranging from electrolyte solutions to E. coli bacteria.

Sep 25

Advanced Manufacturing

Interdisciplinary team partners to develop advanced alloys

Materials science and engineering and chemical engineering faculty will collaborate on projects supported by the Naval Nuclear Laboratory to create additively manufactured structural alloys that can sustain extreme environments.

Sep 18

Advanced Manufacturing

Alum spotlight: Ashlesha Tiple

An independent project with Procter & Gamble led to a job for Ashlesha Tiple (‘22). She uses process systems engineering to make manufacturing processes more sustainable.

Sep 13

Advanced Manufacturing

A family approach to transforming the chemical process industry

Inspired by a product development approach used in the automotive industry, researchers propose an optimization-based approach to transform the chemical process industry and meet climate change goals.