A Message from ChBE Chairman, Fouad Teymour...

Welcome to the Web site of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at IIT.

Biological engineering is finally part of our department name! This name change caps a three-year involvement in the re-design of the undergraduate and graduate curricula, the revision of course content, and the introduction of a new degree offering (Masters of Biological Engineering), all of which were inspired by our commitment to providing the best possible preparation for our students.

Chemical engineering has always been about making products - mostly through chemical routes - that positively impact human society. Now, society seems finally ready to harness the vast powers of biological systems to create a better living environment, and the chemical engineering discipline is poised to take a leading role in this regard. The same repertoire of fundamental tools that helped us provide a wide range of products ranging from fabrics, to construction materials, to medicinal and food products - with the world’s energy supply added for good measure - is now ready for application to biological systems and processes. As the future unfolds, bio-refineries will become commonplace, our energy needs will all derive from sustainable sources, and nano-engineered biomaterials will be routinely used to cure disease and enhance human health.

I am certain that most of you have already experienced the effects of this rapidly spreading wave of "biologification." Throughout the industrial establishment, practicing engineers are realizing the necessity to rediscover the principles of biology and bio-processing, more than likely on their own, as their companies start to diversify their activities into several biological routes for the production of chemicals. Meanwhile, academic institutions are engrossed in the redefinition of curricula and academic programs as departments undergo transformations both in name and in scope.

Our department has had a long-standing tradition of research and educational programs in biological engineering. Armed with this expertise, we have restructured our undergraduate and graduate curricula to be able to better serve the needs of our current and prospective students. Over the course of their future careers, present day graduates will most likely deal with one or more applications involving biological systems. Our new curricular offerings are designed to prepare them for the new challenges they will face. In addition, to cater to the needs of those graduates of recent years, we have introduced a Masters degree in biological engineering, designed to upgrade their knowledge in life sciences and in the advanced application of their fundamentals to both chemical and biological systems.

In closing, I invite you to explore the pages of this Web site to learn about the activities of our world-renowned faculty, the accomplishments of our students, the details of our undergraduate and graduate programs, and the different ways to obtain additional information by contacting members of our friendly staff. Whether you are a current or prospective student, an alumnus, colleague, or are just interested in learning about our research activities, I am certain that you will find the information you seek on these pages.

On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to thank the faculty of the environmental engineering program for long years of collaboration, camaraderie and dedication to student needs. The program is now part of the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering department. During the transition, faculty and program information for the environmental engineering program is available here.