The University of Iowa’s Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (CBE) celebrated its 100th anniversary with a series of activities that brought together students, alumni, faculty, staff, and international collaborators.
At the center of the Milestone Celebration Week was the Carmichael Symposium, honoring Professor Greg Carmichael for shaping the direction of the college and elevating its profile over his nearly 50 years of service to the department.
“His contributions to the College of Engineering and the CBE department are deep, meaningful, and long standing,” Ann McKenna, Dick and Judy Smith Dean of the College of Engineering, said in opening the symposium. "We have great appreciation for all that you've done for the department and the college.”
Speakers traced the department’s history through key figures, from Karl Kammermeyer’s pioneering work in membrane separations to Carmichael’s transformative research in air quality modeling, atmospheric processes, and greenhouse gas emissions. Carmichael holds the Karl Kammermeyer Endowed Professorship in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering.
“We now understand that pollution can be transported from cities to mountains, from one country to another country, to another country, from one continent to another continent, and even in some cases, we can see that the trace of pollution actually circling the globe," Carmichael said of the progress made in the field.
Carmichael has served as a faculty member for nearly half of the department’s existence, and he has served 14 years as department chair and 12 years as associate dean for research and graduate studies.
The symposium served as an opportunity to celebrate and update research accomplishments of alumni and collaborators. The celebration attracted 150 participants, some of whom traveled from Italy, China, Nepal, and South Korea.
The Milestone Celebration Week included several other events, which provided opportunities for students and alumni to connect, share research, and reflect on the department’s evolution. There was the departmental advisory board meeting, centennial reception, alumni panel on the global impact of CBE scholars, student showcase, library exhibit, and AIChE student regional conference, in which the CBE students won the regional championship in the jeopardy competition.
Lilia A. Abron, the first African-American woman in the nation, and the third woman at the UI, to receive a doctorate in chemical engineering, provided a keynote speech at the celebration banquet. Abron shared her memories as a student and achievement in engineering solutions for clean water in African.
“Over the past century, our program has graduated approximately 1,848 students with bachelor’s degrees, 174 with master’s degrees, and more than 210 with PhD degrees," said Jun Wang, Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. "Our alumni have made meaningful contributions across Iowa, the nation, and the world — in industry, academia, government, and beyond. We are proud of their accomplishments and deeply grateful for their generosity, their service, and their continued support of our students and community."
