Chemical engineering research

Chemical engineers in the Fulton Schools transform matter and energy into useful resources for society. Our researchers exploit chemical and physical phenomena to develop products for many industries.

Research projects in chemical engineering include:

  • biomolecular engineering
  • chemical therapies
  • plastics manufacturing
  • protein synthesis
  • water purification
  • and more

This research intertwines chemical engineering with biology, chemistry, physics and math to improve quality of life for all.

Chemical engineering faculty research interests

Advanced materials and manufacturing

Lenore Dai

Lenore Dai

Professor, Chemical engineering
Vice Dean of Faculty Administration, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

Research Interests
Surface, interfacial, and colloidal science with emphases on functionalizing nanoparticles and liquid-liquid interfaces; environmentally responsive (“smart”) materials; novel polymers and polymer composites; rheology

Heather Emady

Heather Emady
Associate Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Particulate process and product design, particle technology, granulation, granular flow, granular heat transfer, particle characterization, multiscale modeling

Matthew Green

Matthew Green
Associate Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Ion-containing block copolymers; membrane-based separations; water purification and desalination; membrane-based carbon capture; stimuli-responsive nanocomposites; amphiphilic solution assemblies

Gregory Raupp

Gregory Raupp
Director, MacroTechnology Works (MTW)
Office of the Executive Vice President for Knowledge Enterprise Development
Professor, Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Reaction kinetics and mechanisms, surface and interface reactions, chemical reaction engineering with emphasis on high tech materials and micro/nano fabrication for flexible electronics and displays…read more

Biological/Biomedical engineering

Erica Forzani

Erica Forzani
Associate Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Chemical and biosensors, non-invasive sensors, sensor integration, wireless and lab-on-cell-phone sensors, microfluidics.

Matthew Green

Matthew Green
Associate Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Ion-containing block copolymers; membrane-based separations; water purification and desalination; membrane-based carbon capture; stimuli-responsive nanocomposites; amphiphilic solution assemblies

Julianne Holloway

Julianne Holloway
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Research group integrates biomaterial design with innovative manufacturing to control and direct stem cell behavior for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

Brent Nannenga

Brent Nannenga
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Protein engineering, structural biology, cryo-electron microscopy

Kaushal Rege

Kaushal Rege
Professor
Graduate program chair, Biological Design

Research Interests
Molecular and nanoscale bioengineering, drug and gene delivery, nanobiotechnology, theranostics, synergistic therapeutics, sub-cellular delivery, biological separation.

Daniel Rivera

Daniel Rivera
Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Control systems engineering with emphasis on system identification and advanced control concepts applied to process systems, supply chain management, and behavioral health.

Michael Sierks

Michael Sierks
Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Develop antibody based therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and Huntington’s Disease. Other areas of investigation include ligand/receptor interactions, catalytic antibodies and enzyme interactions.

Membranes and separations for energy and sustainability

Shuguang Deng

Shuguang Deng
Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Adsorbents, catalysts and membranes for sustainable energy and clean water applications

Matthew Green

Matthew Green
Associate Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Ion-containing block copolymers; membrane-based separations; water purification and desalination; membrane-based carbon capture; stimuli-responsive nanocomposites; amphiphilic solution assemblies

Jerry Lin

Jerry Lin
Regents’ Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Inorganic membranes; membrane and separation processes, carbon dioxide capture; adsorption and energy storage

Mary Laura Lind

Mary Laura Lind
Associate professor
Graduate program chair, chemical engineering

Research Interests
Advance membrane materials – formation, structure, property, performance – for applications in water purification, energy production, and energy storage.

David Nielsen

David Nielsen
Associate Professor
Undergraduate program chair, chemical engineering

Research Interests
Developing microbial platforms and biotechnologies to convert renewable resources into useful fuels and chemicals.

Cesar Torres

Cesar Torres
Associate Professor

Research Interests
Microbial electrochemistry fermentations, and photosynthetic production of biofuels. Develop microbiological technologies that provide energy or high value chemicals to society; engineer microorganisms to carry out reactions that are difficult or impossible through other chemical routes.

Metabolic engineering

Arul Varman

Arul Varman
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for the sustainable production of chemicals, fuels, and pharmaceuticals from renewable resources.

Reaction engineering for sustainability

Jean Andino

Jean Andino
Associate Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Air pollution and energy, air pollutant sensing and control, chemical kinetics

Christopher Muhich

Christopher Muhich
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Computational Chemistry (quantum simulations), metal oxide redox reactions, renewable/sustainable fuel generation and energy storage, materials design for environmental catalysis and remediation processes.

Arul Varman

Arul Varman
Assistant Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for the sustainable production of chemicals, fuels, and pharmaceuticals from renewable resources.

Systems design and engineering

Daniel Rivera

Daniel Rivera
Professor
Chemical engineering

Research Interests
Control systems engineering with emphasis on system identification and advanced control concepts applied to process systems, supply chain management, and behavioral health.