Academic Departments - Chemical and Biological Engineering

Chemical and Biological Engineering Web Site

Chemical Engineers are concerned primarily with the design, operation and management of processing systems to alter and upgrade raw materials into products that are more useful to society (and therefore more valuable). In the design and operation of such facilities two competing concerns are generally paramount: the need to minimize both costs and environmental impact. Since chemical engineers are employed in many different industries, the basic training is general and not industry-specific.

The Bachelor of Science program in Chemical Engineering is broadly based and built on a thorough grounding in mathematics, physics and chemistry followed by the study of thermodynamics, kinetics, fluid mechanics and unit operations. Economics, process design and more specialized technical electives are studied during the final year. With the exception of BIO 100 (which is required for BLE students) the chemical engineering (CHE) and biological engineering (BLE) programs are common for the first five terms. This means that students who are undecided between CHE and BLE can defer their decision until the second term of the junior year.

Key objectives of the program are to develop analytical and problem solving skills, communication skills and a level of general education that will allow the graduate to function effectively as a chemical engineer in the twenty-first century. Chemical Engineering graduates will have:

• A sound foundation in the principles of chemical engineering and an understanding of the scientific principles on which chemical engineering is based.
• Engineering problem solving skills enabling them to pursue careers in industry, government agencies, consulting firms, educational institutions, business, law, and medicine.
• A broad understanding of chemical engineering profession provided by practical training and cooperative education opportunities.
• An awareness of their moral, ethical, legal, and professional obligations to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
• The ability to function effectively in the workplace through teamwork and effective communication of technical and professional information.
• The ability to use modern computer tools, including advanced process simulation programs, and apply them to solve chemical engineering problems.
• An appreciation of the necessity for and the ability to engage in lifelong learning.

The program requires successful completion of 130 credits of course work with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in Chemical and Biological Engineering courses, including technical electives credits. The program can be completed in four academic years of full time study. It is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 – telephone: (410) 347-7700.

Embryo on silicon needles

The goal of the Bachelor of Science program in Biological Engineering is to provide high quality undergraduate engineering instruction related to biological systems. The curriculum objectives are to:

• Provide students with a solid foundation in biological engineering through the understanding and application of mathematics, science, and engineering principles.
• Prepare students for a broad range of career opportunities through the use of problem solving and critical thinking methods.
• Help students develop the ability to function effectively in the workplace through teamwork and effective communication of technical/professional information.
• Help students become aware of their moral, ethical, legal, and professional obligations to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
• Help students develop an appreciation for the necessity for lifelong learning.

Biological engineers primarily design processing systems that render biological raw materials into value-added products. Many biological engineers work on problems of scale-up related to biological processing and therefore need to be conscious of system costs, efficiencies, and environmental impacts. This curriculum provides a unique background so that students may solve engineering problems and produce engineering designs in fields associated with biomedical, bioprocessing, biotechnology, as well as other biologically related fields. The program follows the “process engineering” approach.

During the first five terms the Biological Engineering (BLE) and Chemical Engineering (CHE) programs are essentially the same except that BIO 100 is required for BLE. The required courses cover both the scientific foundations of the subject and the relevant engineering sciences such as thermodynamics, kinetics, fluid mechanics and unit operations. The CHE and BLE programs diverge for the last three terms during which the courses are more discipline specific. A major advantage of this arrangement is that students who are interested in the process engineering approach can transfer freely between BLE and CHE until the second term of the junior year.

Silicon nitride thin film

The basic curriculum, combined with electives in engineering, the humanities and social sciences, and in the life sciences, and culminating with a two-semester engineering design experience, provides a broad base of knowledge for engineering practice in today’s society. Students may, in consultation with their academic advisor, focus their technical elective courses in bioprocessing, biomechanics or biomaterials. Degrees are awarded upon satisfactory completion of 130 credits at an accumulative grade point average of not less than 2.0 in Chemical and Biological Engineering courses, including technical electives credits. The program in Biological Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 – telephone: (410) 347-7700.

Biological engineering students are eligible to enroll in the minor of Biomedical Engineering administered by the College of Engineering at the University of Maine.

Contact

Hemant P. Pendse
Professor and Department Chair
University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation Faculty Fellow
Director, Industrial Process Control Sensor Systems Program
Phone: 207-581-2290
Fax: 207-581-2323
Email: pendse@maine.edu
www.umche.maine.edu/chb/