Department » History

Overview | History | ABET Educational Objectives

After earning his degree in chemical engineering, Howard Isermann joined Van Dyk & Co. It was there that he developed the ultraviolet absorber that became the most effective and leading sunscreen in the world. This development, in addition to preventing sunburn, has contributed to significant progress in skin cancer prevention. He joined Rensselaer’s board of trustees in 1986 and was named an honorary trustee in 1998. His commitment to chemical engineering at Rensselaer has been exceptional, as chairman of the Chemical Engineering Advisory Council and generous benefactor of fellowships and professorships. In 1989 the Institute renamed the department the Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical Engineering.

Founded by Stephen Van Rensselaer in 1824 for the purpose of instruction "in the application of science to the common purposes of life," the Rensselaer School has evolved into a preeminent Polytechnic Institute with a long history of offering engineering programs of distinction.

1922: Department of Chemical Engineering is Formed

When departments were first formed in 1922, four came into being, all bearing engineering designations. Chemical Engineering was among them, and it included the courses in chemistry. Not until 1944 did Chemistry become a separate entity. This represents a sequence probably unique in American higher education.

1943-1967: Professor Lewis S. Coonley Establishes Excellence in Teaching and Research

The undergraduate and graduate programs developed during the 24-year tenure of Professor Lewis S. Coonley as Head of Chemical Engineering (1943-1967) established a tradition of excellence in both teaching and research that brought to the Department a respected position in chemical-engineering education.

1985: Biological Applications become an Integral Part of Chemical Engineering

By about 1985 it became clear that biological applications were to become an integral part of chemical engineering, and the department embarked on development of a program in bioseparations engineering, that has since gained world-wide recognition. On July 1, 2003, the department was renamed "chemical and biological engineering", in recognition of the important role of biotechnology on the profession. Other areas of widely recognized reputation include chromatography, combustion, process control, interfacial and transport phenomena, membrane processes, polymer processing, and thermodynamics.

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Today

These are extremely exciting times for our department and we have experienced dramatic and important changes in the past few years. These include:

• the hiring of a large number of truly outstanding junior and senior faculty members,
• the renaming of our department to the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering,
• a large number of prestigious awards to both our faculty and students,
• the election of one of our faculty to the National Academy of Engineering, and the
• move of our biologically oriented faculty into the new state of the art Biotechnology Center Building. This move opens up dramatic new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborative research for our students and faculty.

Chemical engineering has been undergoing an important paradigm shift in the past few years with the increasing focus on biological systems and molecular engineering. We at Rensselaer are at the forefront of this paradigm shift. A large number of our faculty are carrying out cutting edge research in these important new areas. We firmly believe that as Chemical Engineering redefines itself, our Department is uniquely well positioned—rapidly becoming one of the top programs in the country.