Department of Chemical
and Biological Engineering
From its inception at Colorado School of Mines in 1944, the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department has focused on education and basic and applied research aimed at problems of national interest. Our undergrads pursue degrees that are consistently shown to have some of the highest lifetime returns on investment for a public US university in an engineering department that is unique in that it delivers freshman biology in a state-of-the-art studio environment.
Department of Chemical
and Biological Engineering
From its inception at Colorado School of Mines in 1952, the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department has focused on education and basic and applied research aimed at problems of national interest. Our undergrads pursue degrees that are consistently shown to have some of the highest lifetime returns on investment for a public US university in an engineering department that is unique in that it delivers freshman biology in a state-of-the-art studio environment.
We want to thank you for participating in #idigmines Giving Day on February 4th!
Your donations provide support for our students as they work towards their degree at Mines.
Looking for campus resources related to research during COVID-19?
Check out campus resources here.
Chemical & Biological Engineering Newsletter
Stay up-to-date with the most recent news
Fall 2020 e-Newsletter (Released October 2020)
Fall 2019 Print Newsletter
Fall 2019 e-Newsletter
Want to know what makes a great department? Our 75-year history was written “by the family, for the family,” as coined by new department head Anuj Chauhan. The book was composed from student and faculty interviews, surveys of the Oredigger yearbook and commencement bulletins, department records, and registrar data, among other sources. The book can be found under our department history tab or by clicking here.
Mines@150
In 2024, the year of our 150th anniversary, we will celebrate Colorado School of Mines’ past, present and possibilities. By celebrating and supporting the Campaign for MINES@150 you will help elevate Mines to be an accessible, top-of-mind and first-choice for students, faculty, staff, recruiters and other external partners. When you give, you are ensuring Mines becomes even more distinctive and highly sought-after by future students, alumni, industry, and government partners over the next 150 years. We look forward to celebrating Mines’ sesquicentennial with you and recognizing the key role you play in making the MINES@150 vision a reality through your investments of time, talent and treasure.
Welcome, from the Mines CBE family!
The CBE Department is excited to welcome Assistant Professor Alexander Pak!
Dr. Alexander Pak joins the department in Spring 2021. He previously held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago working with Dr. Gregory Voth. His research focused on understanding viral morphogenesis during HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 infection through the systematic development and application of coarse-grained molecular models. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2016 under the guidance of Dr. Gyeong Hwang. His thesis work established design principles for carbon nanomaterials as supercapacitor electrodes on the basis of first-principles calculations. His current research explores thermodynamic and kinetic control over self-assembled molecular building blocks under the lens of multiscale computational techniques in order to design soft materials with applications in energy, sustainability, and healthcare.
Excellent teaching, cutting-edge research
We are offering an updated ABET-accredited degree in chemical engineering. This revision modernizes our curriculum, offers increased flexibility in elective options and provides optional specialty tracks in Process Engineering and Biological Engineering for those who want to focus their degree.
In addition, we maintain a high-quality, well-funded research program ($7-8 million per year in research awards) with strong participation from students at both graduate and undergraduate levels. About 80 graduate and postdoctoral students study within a broad research menu, including major programs in conventional and renewable energy, soft materials and biotechnology, catalysis and separations, simulation and modeling and pedagogy with top-notch faculty, including one PECASE award winner and seven NSF CAREER Award winners.
These research and educational activities take place in one of the most scenic locations in the United States. With over 300 days per year of sunshine and the proximity to Denver and the Rocky Mountains, this area provides a combination of year-round cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities that are virtually unmatched anywhere.
News
- Mines professor receives pre-seed funding to develop hydrogel bandage technology
"We started this company with a focus on resolving diabetic foot ulcers, which pose serious health and financial burdens to those affected, but also believe the unique properties of our hydrogels … - Microporous crystals could provide regenerable, reversible storage environment for ammonia transport
“This proof-of-concept work could provide a useful starting point for the design of future materials for reversible gas storage,” Mines PhD candidate James M. Crawford said. - New composite membranes could enable fusion-based energy
"A critical challenge facing the practical implementation of fusion power is the effective and safe management of tritium," said Mines' Colin Wolden, lead investigator on the new $1.4 m … - Nanette Boyle named Scialog Fellow to work collaboratively on negative emissions science
The new initiative is bringing together more than 50 early-career scientists from the U.S. and Canada to tackle the pressing challenge of greenhouse gas accumulating in Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. …