About the Department
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.
Today, our students, faculty, and staff are productive in all aspects of education, research, and service. In recent years, we have had students named as a Rhodes Scholar, a Fulbright Scholar, a Goldwater Scholar, and more. Our faculty is a group of highly accomplished and energetic leaders that includes three UT-ORNL Governor’s Chairs, distinguished professors, named professors, and recipients of numerous awards for their contributions to the field and engineering education.
CBE offers a BS, MS, and PhD in chemical engineering, a BS in chemical engineering with a biomolecular engineering concentration, and a dual MS-MBA. The department participates in interdisciplinary graduate programs in energy and sustainable science, with the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education providing unique research opportunities and financial support. A rigorous curriculum prepares our students to be successful in their future profession and offers them the flexibility to choose courses that match their interest areas.
The department supports varied research interests, including computational materials science and engineering, engineering of soft materials, engineering of functional and structured materials, computation bioengineering and biophysics, molecular and cellular bioengineering and nanobiotechnology, systems and synthetic biology, biomass based products, matierals for energy applications, and energy conversions and storage.
CBE conducts research through the Computational Materials Research Group, Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, Joint Institute in Biological Sciences, Joint Institute in Computational Sciences, and Sustainable Energy Educational and Research Centers. Many students and faculty also take advantage of the world-class facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.