Biomedical & Chemical Engineering (Ph.D.) Program Details

Degree Requirements

    ❱   Required coursework
    ❱   Qualifying or comprehensive examination
    ❱   Graduate School writing proficiency requirement
    ❱   Graduate School Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement
    ❱   Dissertation  
    ❱   Final oral examination/Dissertation defense

Research Specializations

    ❱   Infectious disease
    ❱   Food engineering
    ❱   Drug delivery
    ❱   Biomechanics and modeling
    ❱   Energy and sustainability
    ❱   Environmental remediation

Modern Research Labs

Our graduate faculty have a variety of research interests supported by state-of-the-art lab facilities. Read more about our research labs and initiatives. A sampling of these research labs is featured below. 

Research Areas & Interests

Faculty Research Interests

 
A sampling of research interests

  • Hazardous waste remediation
  • Bio- and nano-materials and multiscale simulations
  • Reactor analysis and modeling 
  • Biotechniques (biosensors, drug delivery, bioremediation, and bioenergy)
  • Polymer-nanoparticle composite materials for water treatment
  • Mass transfer and kinetics in environmental systems 
  • Functional materials design
  • Technologies for water treatment and conservation
  • Solvent-free tribo-electrostatic bioseparation for the production of plant protein concentrates 
  • Surfactant and cosolvent assisted bioavailability enhancement
  • Hazardous waste treatment in aqueous and soil systems
  • Surfactant and cosolvent assisted bioavailability enhancement

Faculty Research Labs

Biomolecular Assemblies and Nanomechanics (BAN) Laboratory 


Focuses on the engineering design behind self-assembled nanoscale structures of semiflexible biopolymers (DNA, aggrecan, and collagen), and use of these nanostructures as physical containers for drug delivery and tissue regeneration.

Physical/Chemical Environmental Processes Laboratory


Focuses on remediation of environmental contaminants. Recent remediation efforts have targeted Hexavalent Chromium, Cr(VI), and Trichloroethylene, TCE, which the USEPA has classified as known carcinogens. 

Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory


Laboratory research activities advance the development of environmentally clean bio-separation technologies for concurrent recovery of high-quality food and biofuel from plant-based materials to address major issues in sustainable energy, human nutrition, and the environment.

Bioenvironmental Engineering Laboratory


Focuses on the use of biological technologies for the remediation of contaminated environmental media, waste management and resource recovery. Students have conducted research on water sanitation, and energy technology implementation in developing communities in Senegal, Kenya, and El Salvador.

Program of Study

CORE COURSES

ELECTIVE COURSES

DISSERTATION (12 CR)


Dissertation (12 CR)

Admission to Candidacy 

Students are admitted to formal candidacy by the Graduate School when they have completed the required coursework, passed the qualifying or comprehensive examination, submitted an approved topic for research, and been recommended by the Department. Candidates must also have satisfied the Graduate School writing proficiency requirement and Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement.

Graduate Funding 

Admitted students may be eligible to compete for Graduate School competitive awards, which provide tuition remission and a stipend during the academic year. Additionally, graduate research or teaching assistantships may be available at the department level. Research assistants and teaching assistants work no more than 20 hours a week under the program's direction, usually in support of faculty research (research assistants) or in support of assigned courses (teaching assistants). Please see the Funding website for more detailed information.