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ChemE Curriculum
Vision of
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Vision of the Curriculum(Taken from the Introduction to Chemical Engineering's Stategic Plan, v. 3.2.1, dated Aug. 11, 2006.)What distinguishes the top US chemical engineering departments?Is it their size or the status of their research program, or their location? Often, what made these departments great is tied to their history: being at the right time with the right faculty and resources to make paradigm-shifting contributions to the profession. These contributions did more than simply improve research and teaching. They created entire “schools of thought” that reverberated throughout the profession via a web of research impact, alumni placement in industry and academia, curriculum-defining textbooks, and professional leadership. Prominent examples include the “Wisconsin School,” which consolidated continuum transport theory for chemical engineering; the “Berkeley School,” which integrated molecular-level modeling into chemical engineering design; and the “Minnesota school,” which made rigorous mathematics and numerical analysis an integral part of the profession. These schools did not chase particular “hot” industries or research areas – they identified common themes and unified disparate areas under a single flag.So what is the next professional paradigm shift—how do we position ourselves to create and lead the next “school of thought?”Chemical Engineering covers more areas today than ever before—microelectronics, biotechnology, specialty materials, and sustainability—in addition to the traditional areas of petrochemicals, energy, and chemical processing. The identity of the discipline rests upon its paradigm, or alternatively, the context for interpreting the body of knowledge of the discipline. With a changing discipline, we can expect a change in paradigm.Whether in biotechnology, electronics, food, fuels, or materials the new technologies that we see developing today and anticipate for the future rely on the following principles:
By incorporating molecular and nanoscale principles throughout education and research, UW Chemical Engineering will address the needs of tomorrow's engineering and tomorrow's engineers.Chemical engineering research in the United States already has a firm foundation in molecular level phenomena. Extending that approach to include nanoscale systems and subsequent multiscale analysis will greatly enhance the transfer of new technology into new products. To do so requires people well trained in molecular and nanoscale phenomena in both the scientific and engineering contexts. Thus, educational reform must accompany such a plan.________________________ 1C. M. Vest, “Educating Engineers for 2020 and Beyond,” in Educating the Engineer of 2020, (National Academies Press, Washington, 2005). |
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| Revised:
6/23/08 |
Comments, questions,
information? Contact Eric Stuve at stuve@u.washington.edu. |