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Fast Facts

Fast Facts

UT’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is one of the oldest chemical engineering programs in the South. Our roots date back to 1905, and we were one of the first programs to receive accreditation from AIChE in 1939.

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Award-Winning Faculty

Our faculty includes 8 NSF Career awardees, 2 Royal Society of Chemistry Fellows, 1 DARPA Young Faculty awardee, 1 American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, 1 American Physical Society Fellow, 1 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Fellow, and 1 Society of Rheology Fellow.

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Diverse Students

Our student population averages about 400 undergraduates and 60 graduate students from 24 US states and 19 countries. Approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are women.

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Impactful Research

We have nine research thrusts across three focus areas: Advanced Materials, Biomolecular Engineering, and Sustainable Energy. Research expenditures per faculty are about $360,000 annually.


Additional Facts

  • The department includes 17 tenure-line faculty, 3 UT-ORNL Governor’s Chairs, and 4 endowed professorships.
  • Our chemical engineering graduate program is ranked 44th among public institutions, and the college’s undergraduate program is ranked 35th among public institutions, both by U.S. News and World Report.
  • The Eastman Unit Operations Laboratory offers cutting edge facilities for CBE students to learn real-world practices.
  • Recent CBE students have been recognized with prestigious awards including being named a Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright Scholar, and Goldwater Scholar.