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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, 1 Royal Society of Chemistry awardee, 1 DARPA YFA awardee, 1 AAAS 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. Women make up approximately 45% of our undergraduates and 20% of our graduate students.

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Impactful Research

We have nine research thrusts across three focus areas: Advanced Materials, Biomolecular Engineering, and Sustainable Energy. Research expenditures 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, and the college’s undergraduate program is ranked 35th, 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 nationally, including being named a Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright Scholar, and Goldwater Scholar.