Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
At the intersection of innovation and discovery, Penn’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) redefines what’s possible in science and technology. Our programs are designed to empower students to tackle global challenges—from sustainable energy solutions to groundbreaking biomedical advancements. Here, transformative research and interdisciplinary collaboration spark solutions that shape the future.
From reaction engineering to advanced materials and biopharmaceutical development, our curriculum blends rigorous theory with hands-on research opportunities. With access to state-of-the-art facilities and interdisciplinary collaboration, students are prepared to innovate and lead in academia, industry, and beyond.
Professor Vojvodic and her team are helping advance clean hydrogen fuel production by uncovering how iridium oxide catalysts degrade at the atomic scale during water splitting. Their findings could guide the design of longer-lasting, more efficient catalysts that use less of this rare material.
Click here to read more.
We mourn the passing of Arthur E. Humphrey, former Professor in Chemical Engineering, longtime Department Chair and the inaugural Dean of Penn Engineering, who passed away on March 21, 2026, at the age of 98. A pioneer in biochemical engineering and a visionary academic leader, Dean Humphrey helped shape the direction of both the CBE department and the School for generations to come.
Click here to learn more about Dean Humphrey’s legacy.
Congratulations to Professor Karen Winey for being elected to the National Academy of Engineering!
NAE members are among the nation’s most accomplished engineering leaders, and election to the NAE is one of the highest professional honors for engineers in the U.S.
Congratulations to Professor Winey for achieving this prestigious honor.
Congratulations to Professor Dohyung Kim, who has been named a 2025 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering.
This prestigious honor recognizes early-career researchers pushing the boundaries of discovery. Professor Kim’s work focuses on the intersection of chemical engineering and materials science, advancing new strategies for energy-efficient and sustainable technologies.
A team of CBE juniors— Angelica Dadda, Gina Lin, Theertha Vannemreddy, and Max Huang— earned first place and a $2,000 prize in the Penn Water Center’s 2025 Student Water Innovation Competition for their innovative design to retrofit power plant cooling towers for water reuse and loss reduction.
Their polymer-coated copper mesh system promotes efficient condensation and heat transfer, addressing critical sustainability challenges in arid regions. The team, along with Jack Leitzell, will use their funding to build a bench-scale model and present their work at the WERC Environmental Design Contest in New Mexico this April.
From semiconductors to sensors, the next generation of electronic devices will rely on smarter, more precise materials. Professors Aleks Vojvodic and Zahra Fakhraai are combining cutting-edge computation with innovative experiments to design materials at the molecular level. By bridging theory and practice, their work is uncovering the fundamental rules that govern how molecules interact—opening the door to new breakthroughs in electronics, energy, and beyond.
To read the full story in Penn Today, click here. To learn more about the study, click here.
You might be interested in chemical and biomolecular engineering if:
