Christian Brothers University
webmail | myCBU | site map
Faculty
Contact
Dr. Ali Pourhashemi
Chair
Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
(901) 321-3401


 Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
The Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering is the youngest department in CBU's School of Engineering and the only chemical engineering program in Memphis. The department offers an ABET accredited Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. It has granted more than 250 such degrees since its establishment a quarter of a century ago. About 50% of our graduates are working in Tennessee as plant managers, project managers, design engineers, project engineers, production engineers, quality controllers, environmental engineers, consultants, business coordinators, and sales engineers. A number of our graduates have also gone on to graduate from some of the most prestigious graduate and professional schools in the country.

All chemical engineering courses are taught by experienced faculty. Due to the small class size, the department offers individual attention to undergraduate students, preparing them for advanced study in graduate school or successful careers in industry. Many students have participated in internship programs offered by local industries, where they are coached by practicing engineers. We offer unique courses in polymer and packaging engineering given only by a few undergraduate chemical engineering programs in the nation. The ChE undergraduate laboratory is equipped with a variety of instruments, including computer data acquisition systems. Our students learn to use state-of-the-art software, such as ASPEN Plus, as part of their coursework throughout the curriculum. Although the main purpose of the department is to train and produce skilled undergraduate engineers, its faculty members are also involved in applied research in their fields of specialty.

The CBU ChE department offers two different tracks: traditional chemical engineering and biochemical engineering. Our new biochemical engineering track provides a great opportunity for those who have an interest not only in engineering but also in biology and chemistry. The biotechnology industry develops and designs the processes needed to grow, handle, and harvest living organisms and their by-products. CBU is among the very few chemical engineering departments in the South that has not only realized the importance of biotechnology for the new millennium, but also adopted this new track since 2001.