Beyond Learning
Chemical engineering students at Michigan Tech do more than just study this extensive field; they graduate with a unique set of skills gleaned from hands-on lab experience and competitive course work. The Department of Chemical Engineering has one of the most expansive learning laboratories in the discipline worldwide—measuring in at 6,500 square feet, the Unit Operations Lab is a pilot-plant-scale educational facility dedicated to chemical processing. Combined with world-class faculty, this program ensures our students are prepared to succeed in industry and beyond.
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Lecturer, Chemical Engineering
Technical communication is an active and growing subfield of engineering, as the importance of being able to communicate technical information clearly and concisely is of the utmost importance in business and industry today. The field has expanded over the years to include such topics as engineering communication, writing across the . . .
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Timothy C. Eisele
PhD, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Michigan Technological University
Contact
906-487-2017
tceisele@mtu.edu
Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
Research and Teaching Interests
Particulate processing, chemistry and thermodynamics of metals extraction; physical separation processes, sustainable raw materials production, oxidative and reductive bioleaching of metals.
Large-scale processing and utilization of industrial wastes.Materials such as fly-ashes scrubber sludges, metallurgical slags, machining wastes, and many other similar materials present a significant disposal problem, which can be much reduced if . . .
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Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
My research group uses natural and artificial molecular recognition to improve human health. This work includes discovering small peptides or chemicals that bind specifically to proteins and engineering devices that utilize the binding property.
Virus Removal and DetectionA biotherapeutic is any product that is made to improve human health and comes from a biological . . .
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S. Komar Kawatra
PhD, Metallurgical Engineering, University of Queensland (Australia)
Contact
906-487-2064
skkawatr@mtu.edu
Department Chair, Chemical Engineering
S. Komar Kawatra joined the faculty at Michigan Tech as an associate professor in 1977. He was promoted to Professor in 1985 and chaired the Department of Mining and Materials Processing Engineering from 2000-2002 when its programs were merged into other academic departments. He has served as chair of the . . .
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Wenzhen Li
PhD, Physical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics
Contact
906-487-2298
wzli@mtu.edu
Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
Our research is at the interface of science and engineering. With the world’s increasing energy demand, the depletion of “easy” oil and gas fields, and the impact of CO2 emissions on the Earth’s climate, people have been forced to seek clean and sustainable energy resources. Lignocellulosic biomass can significantly reduce our dependence on . . .
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Adrienne Minerick
PhD, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame du lac (USA)
Contact
906-487-2796
minerick@mtu.edu
Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering
Adrienne R. Minerick joined the faculty at Michigan Tech as an associate professor in 2009. She was previously an associate professor and assistant professor at Mississippi State University.
Minerick's primary area of research is electrokinetics with a focus on medical microdevices, blood cell dynamics, and point of care diagnostics. Her group's primary area of specialty is dielectrophoresis which utilizes nonuniform AC fields to manipulate polarizable cells and other dielectric biomaterials.
She has received numerous honors and . . .
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Professor, Chemical Engineering
Ceramics, fine particles, and engineered nanostructures
In the area of ceramics and particle technology, we are learning to make novel nanoscale structures for use as electrodes, catalysts, biomaterials, and membranes. Specific current research includes the development of polymer/inorganic nanofibers for tissue scaffolds, electrosynthesis of new hybrid materials, porous carbon electrodes for battery and fuel . . .
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Professor, Chemical Engineering
Dr. Peng started his academic career as an assistant professor at the University of Southern California in Chemical Engineering Department and later on promoted to associate professor with tenure. He then joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at the National Taiwan University with the rank of full professor. In 2008, he . . .
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Professor, Chemical Engineering
Research interests are in the areas of sustainability, life-cycle environmental assessments, environmental transport processes, and forest-based biofuels.
Life Cycle Assessment/Sustainability
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method that allows for a comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts for a product or process. The scope of the assessment is over the entire life cycle; starting with extraction of . . .
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Professor, Chemical Engineering
My research interests are in the area of composite materials. Specifically, my interests often focus on adding various carbon fillers to typically thermoplastic polymers to produce electrically and thermally conductive resins.
Increasing the thermal and electrical conductivities of typically insulating polymers, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and nylon, has the potential of greatly . . .
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Wen Zhou
PhD, Chemical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
Contact
906-487-1164
wzhou1@mtu.edu
Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
My research is focused on using and advancing computational systems biology and engineering to better understand and further improve complex chemical and biochemical processes to address problems related to bioenergy production and environment protection. The complexity of processes involved in these problems necessitates systematical approaches. The ultimate goal is to . . .


