Welcome From Department Head

Welcome to the UA Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering. We are honored you have decided to join CHEE for your undergraduate or graduate studies. At the heart of the department is a panoptic dedication to improving people’s lives and leaving the world a better place – because that’s what chemical and environmental engineers do.

Unwavering support, forward-thinking faculty members, groundbreaking research, and career-advancing industry connections all draw students to UA chemical and environmental engineering, and keep them there. 

Chemical engineers design processes, equipment, indeed entire manufacturing plants for many of the products we depend on daily: chips in computers and cell phones, pasteurized juice and cheese, gasoline, pharmaceuticals, adhesive bandages, plastic containers, the list is endless. Environmental engineers focus on sustainability: making water safe to drink, recycling waste for feedstock and other purposes, ensuring efficient use of materials and energy, and controlling soil, water and air pollution. 

Community of Students Doing Important Work

CHEE Wildcats have a tight bond. Undergraduates form a cohort during a gateway sophomore course, and that small, supportive community stays intact throughout the degree program. Transfers, underrepresented students, and first-generation college students feel at home and find success in CHEE.

Graduate students have easy access to expert faculty and play significant roles in researching algae-based biofuels, cancer detection and treatment, clean semiconductor manufacturing, nanomaterials synthesis, climate change, desalination, drug delivery, solar energy, flexible electronics, and water treatment and reuse.

Graduates Ready to Tackle Global Challenges

All faculty members are experts in chemical and environmental engineering, and CHEE students become professionals who understand the value of using resources wisely. You will graduate well-prepared to work in a variety of industries, attend the best graduate schools, and perhaps most importantly, contribute to a better tomorrow. 

Warm Regards,

Professor Kim Ogden, Department Chair