The University of Iowa Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering offers both thesis and non-thesis Master's of Science programs, a Doctor of Philosophy program, and a five-year U2G program. Graduate students in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering gain an understanding of the principles of engineering science, with a focus on a chosen research area.

Information for Graduate Students

Student Learning Outcomes

MS graduates will:

  • Demonstrate a mastery of core chemical engineering concepts;
  • Effectively communicate scientific concepts and/or research results in both written and oral formats to scientific and general audiences;
  • Demonstrate knowledge of and commitment to safe and ethical behavior through adherence to best safety practices and academic integrity principles.
  • Students completing the program with thesis will additionally demonstrate the abilities to:
    • Demonstrate the ability to perform independent research, critically identify and solve research problems, summarize disciplinary information, evaluate research findings.

PhD graduates will:

  • Demonstrate a mastery of core chemical engineering concepts;
  • effectively communicate scientific concepts and/or research results in both written and oral formats to scientific and general audiences;
  • Demonstrate the ability to perform independent research, critically identify and solve research problems, summarize disciplinary information, evaluate research findings;
  • Demonstrate knowledge of and commitment to safe and ethical behavior through adherence to best safety practices and academic integrity principles.

Contacts

Eric Nuxoll

Eric Nuxoll

Director of Graduate Admissions

Associate Professor, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

The director of graduate admissions recruits and serves as the first point of contact for prospective graduate students.

Alec B. Scranton

Alec Scranton

Director of Graduate Studies

Professor, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

The director of graduate studies is an advocate for graduate students and their success. He advises incoming students, coordinates the research advisor selection process, monitors and tracks student progress, and is a point of contact for graduate program questions.

Jun Wang

Jun Wang

Departmental Executive Officer

Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

The departmental executive officer is the academic administrator the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering.

Sara Hartman

Sara Hartman

Graduate Program Specialist

The graduate program specialist is a contact for prospective, incoming, and current students for anything related to the academic program.

Amanda Jensen

Amanda Jensen

Department Administrator

The department administrator is a point of contact for anything related to graduate student human resources, finance, travel, and administrative odds and ends.

News Highlights

Group portrait of 12 professionally dressed individuals posed on a wide staircase inside a modern building with glass railings and a bright atrium. The group is arranged in three rows, with four people seated or standing in the front, four in the middle, and four in the back. The individuals wear business and business-casual attire in shades of blue, gray, black, and yellow. Large windows, warm wood accents, and several people in the distant background are visible.

Baldes, Marquez named 2026-27 Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows

Monday, August 31, 2026
Carson Baldes, a PhD student in chemical and biochemical engineering, and Tyce Marquez, a PhD student in biomedical engineering, have been selected for the Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows Program, a year-long educational experience designed to immerse emerging leaders in the dynamic world of healthcare innovation.
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University of Iowa researchers examine the environmental journey of everyday chemicals

Thursday, August 27, 2026
A team of researchers from the University of Iowa and the University of Colorado Boulder recently explored what happens to the chemicals in personal care product in a review article published in Nature Reviews Chemistry.
Photo of forest fire

NSF supports Iowa engineers' nighttime wildfire forecasting efforts

Tuesday, August 11, 2026
As wildfires grow more frequent, intense, and destructive across the United States, researchers at the University of Iowa (UI), led by Prof. Jun Wang, have secured a National Science Foundation grant to study how fires behave after dark.