DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is a dynamic community of undergraduate and graduate students and faculty.
Our professors excel in both the classroom and the laboratory, with many possessing decades of experience in traditional chemical engineering industries such as fuels, alternative energy, bulk chemicals and polymers. Other faculty are leading the way in the rapidly growing fields of biotechnology, biomedical engineering, cell therapy, bio-inspired materials, pharmaceuticals and more.
Regardless of your area of interest, at Villanova, you will be taught to creatively solve relevant technical problems with solutions that respond to economic constraints as well as social, ethical, environmental and safety implications.
At a Glance
- 15 Full-time faculty members
- 224 Chemical Engineering undergraduates (50% female)
- 29 Master's students (Chemical)
- 30 Master's students (Biochemical)
- 15 PhD students
The size of our department allows for a variety of hands-on research opportunities and the ability for focused faculty mentorship.
OUR RESEARCH
The department is associated with the College of Engineering’s research center:
NovaCell, the Center for Cellular Engineering
NovaCell’s mission is to lead efforts to improve cell and gene therapy products, and the bioprocesses used to make them.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNTIES
Students at all levels are encouraged to pursue research opportunities with Chemical and Biological Engineering faculty in the areas of:
- Biopharmaceutical processing
- Biomaterials for drug delivery
- Cell and gene therapy
- Computational chemistry models to improve catalyst design
- Decontamination of wastewater
- Systems biology approaches to understanding antibiotic resistance
- Utilizing biomass for energy and bio-sourced materials
- Zeolite and catalyst design for increased process efficiency
FEATURED FACULTY
DEPARTMENT NEWS
Davis’ career has been marked by a commitment to operational excellence and innovation, as well as the development of STEM outreach programs.
Villanova Engineering Launches Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering
The interdisciplinary program, which will be available to students starting in Fall 2024, involves the application of engineering to address challenges in medicine and health care for societal needs.
Chemical Engineering Student Chosen for Fulbright-MITACS Globalink Canada
Lauren Iskander (left in photo) of West Orange, N.J., will be conducting research at Polytechnique Montréal, where she will develop implantable neuromodulation interventions to improve hand movements after paralysis.