The University of North Dakota officially launched this week a new Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering, a big first for the state’s only chemical engineering program. 

Chemical engineering—part of the UND School of Engineering and Mines (SEM)—has been steadily building a strong research program to support its traditional strength in teaching. Its new, customizable Ph.D.  program will provide students with an advanced understanding of fundamental chemical engineering subjects including thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and transport phenomena applied to research such as bio-based materials and sustainable energy (UND recently established the country’s first master’s degree program in sustainable energy engineering).

“We are very excited to expand our advanced degree offerings to include the Ph.D. in chemical engineering,” said UND Graduate School Dean Joseph Benoit.  “Students entering the program will have the opportunity to study under an internationally recognized faculty.  Regional students will no longer have to leave the state for doctoral education in chemical engineering and non-resident students are gaining a high quality option for advanced study.”

SEM Professor and Dean Hesham El-Rewini said the new doctoral program will offer students exceptional career opportunities.

“Graduates of the chemical engineering doctoral degree program will be prepared to take faculty positions at leading universities and senior-level positions at major research facilities where they will create and implement chemical engineering solutions to the energy and environmental problems facing our state, nation, and world,” El-Rewini said.

The chemical engineering doctoral degree is designed to be more research-intensive with greater depth in chemical engineering fundamentals than the existing SEM interdisciplinary engineering doctoral program. A primary goal of the new program is to attract and retain high-quality students who're looking for a chemical engineering-specific doctoral degree program.

“Many of our master’s degree students indicated that they were selecting other institutions for doctoral study because UND did not have a doctoral degree specifically in chemical engineering,” said Michael Mann, professor and chair of chemical engineering. “The students felt that it was important to obtain this degree in order to get the jobs they desired. The formation of the new chemical engineering doctoral program is a direct response to this need.”

For more information about the new Ph.D. in chemical engineering, see http://www.und.edu/dept/sem/che/che_grad.html#chephdprog

About UND SEM:  The UND School of Engineering and Mines (SEM) is a fully accredited engineering program offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in civil, chemical, electrical, energy, environmental, and mechanical engineering, with undergraduate program concentrations in computer and aerospace engineering. The School emphasizes its teaching mission while supporting a wide variety of innovative research in the areas of sustainable energy, bio-fuels, distance learning, aerospace payload development, remote sensing, engineered surfaces, and hydrogen fuel cell technologies.

About The Graduate School:  The Graduate School at UND enrolls approximately 2,100 master’s and doctoral students in more than 100 degree and certificate programs.  UND’s growing number of campus-based as well as online graduate programs provide more educational opportunities for students from around the world.   

--30--

Contacts:
Frank Bowman, director
SEM Chemical Engineering Graduate Studies
701-777-4245
frank.bowman@und.edu

Cheryl Osowski, outreach coordinator
UND School of Engineering and Mines
701-777-3390
cherylosowski@mail.und.edu