The Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois enjoys a long tradition of academic excellence. The department of Chemical Engineering was founded in 1901 by Samuel Parr, thereby being one of the oldest in the United States.
Samuel Parr developed standard methods for measuring the quality of coal. The Parr calorimeter, one of his inventions, is still in use today for measuring the heating value of fuels. Parr (1858-1931) arrived in Urbana in 1885, when the entire university staff numbered 43. He taught the first courses at the university in applied chemistry, and he established the chemical engineering curriculum. The department's first BS degree was awarded in 1903.
Donald B. Keyes, developer of the first successful commercial method for producing absolute alcohol, became head of the department in 1926. By 1942, 60 BS degrees had been granted.
As department head in the postwar years, H. F. Johnstone established new laboratory facilities, increased the emphasis on graduate education, and brought in the new faculty members who were to assure the standards of excellence for decades to come.
In 2002, under the leadership of Chip Zukoski, the Department adopted its present name of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering to reflect the emerged importance of biological processes and systems within the profession.
Under the successive leadership of H. G. Drickamer, M. S. Peters, J. W. Westwater, C. A. Eckert, R. C. Alkire, C. F. Zukoski, D. E. Leckband, and E. G. Seebauer, the department has built an international reputation in education and research. The productivity of the faculty here is among the highest in the nation. Today, the Department and its thousands of alumni retain a proud sense of their heritage at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign.
Chemical engineering at UIUC has achieved an outstanding record of eminence in both education and research. The department was ranked in the top five in the most recent report by the National Research Council, based on a survey of academic researchers. Another study, published by the American Chemical Society, found that UIUC was the number one institution for the undergraduate training of chemical engineers considered eminent in the field and among the top five for doctoral education of this group. Various rankings of graduate programs have consistently rated the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Urbana-Champaign as one of the top dozen in the country. These high rankings are a direct result of the eminence and records of achievement of chemical engineers who received their undergraduate or graduate education at Urbana-Champaign. The following two links lead to pages that list some of our most eminent alumni and their achievements:
Prominent alumni and their achievements
Alumni and faculty elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
A source of strength for the department is the high quality of the graduate student body. In the fall of 2006, there were 102 full-time graduate students enrolled in chemical engineering. These students represent a wide spectrum of backgrounds, coming to University of Illinois from schools in numerous states and foreign countries. Currently more than 300 undergraduate students are in residence, many of which have their roots in the greater Chicago area. Annually, the department awards approximately 70 to 80 B.S., 15-20 M.S., and more than 15 Ph.D. degrees.
The department is part of the School of Chemical Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It maintains close ties with the College of Engineering, which has been consistently ranked among the top five in the nation based on surveys among deans at engineering schools conducted by U.S. News & World Report. The department is fully accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
