ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
Undergraduate Students: 211
Graduate Students:75
Faculty Members:16
GRADUATE DEGREES
Doctor of Philosophy:
Chemical Engineering
Master of Science:
Chemical Engineering
CONTACTS
Dr. Sindee Simon
Whitacre Department Chair
sindee.simon@ttu.edu
Dr. Siva Vanapalli
Graduate Advisor
siva.vanapalli@ttu.edu
GRADUATE STUDENT
TESTIMONIALS
“I found the courses to be really
effective and useful.”
“Excellent working environment for research.”
RESEARCH
The Department of Chemical Engineering’s graduate program
at Texas Tech University is dynamic and internationally visible.
Our laboratory facilities support innovative experimental
programs, and our computational resources are exploited for
state-of-the-art modeling and simulation activities.
Award-winning research is carried out in the following areas:
• Bioengineering
• Energy and Sustainability
• Polymers and Materials
• Simulation and Modeling in Chemical Engineering
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
The master’s and Ph.D. programs enable students to be
involved in the research areas listed above.
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
A written thesis and a minimum of 24 hours of graduate-level
coursework, exclusive of thesis and seminar, are required
for the master’s degree. The master’s program may also be
completed without a thesis.
Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering
The Ph.D. program builds upon the foundation of knowledge
developed in the course of prior studies at the B.S. and M.S.
levels. The Ph.D. degree requires five core courses plus
twelve additional courses that are decided between the Ph.D.
candidate and the faculty thesis advisor. Many of these courses
are special topics and independent study courses.
Students must pass a qualifying examination for the doctorate
degree and perform novel and innovative research that leads
to a written thesis. The thesis is defended in a final oral
examination by the Doctoral committee that is chaired by
the thesis advisor. Most students take five years post−B.S. to
complete the Ph.D. degree plan.
“Seminars were thought-provoking
and scientifically stimulating.”
“It was amazing to work and get things
done with my research advisor.”
“All the people in the department are very
helpful and made my stay here wonderful.”
Department of Chemical Engineering | Box 43121 | Lubbock, TX 79409-3121
T 806.742.3553 | F 806.742.3552 | www.che.ttu.edu
Chemical Engineering Research
Faculty Research Specializations
Dr. Chau-Chyun Chen
Dr. Gregory B. McKenna
Molecular thermodynamics, phase
equilibria, process modeling
Polymer and soft matter physics, rheology,
nanorheology, nanomechanics
Professor and Jack Maddox Distinguished
Engineering Chair in Sustainable Energy
Horn Professor and
John R. Bradford Chair in Engineering
Dr. Harvinder Singh Gill
Dr. Nurxat Nuraje
Drug and vaccine delivery,
bionanomaterials, immunomodulation
Enhanced oil recovery, photocatalysis,
renewable energy
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Dr. Ronald C. Hedden
Dr. Al Sacco Jr.
Networks, gels, and elastomers,
biofuels, polymer processing
Transition metal and acid
catalysts, zeolite synthesis
Associate Professor
Dean of the Whitacre College of Engineering
Dr. Sheima Jatib-Khatib
Dr. Sindee L. Simon
Heterogeneous catalysis, membrane reactors
Physics of glasses, nanoconfined
reactions, calorimetry, dilatometry
Assistant Professor
Dr. Rajesh Khare
Associate Professor
Molecular dynamics and simulations
of polymer and soft matter
Whitacre Department Chair and Horn Professor
Dr. Siva A. Vanapalli
Associate Professor and Graduate Advisor
Microfluidics, mechanics of cells and
biopolymers, colloidal assembly
Dr. Carla Lacerda
Dr. Mark W. Vaughn
Mitral heart valve degeneration: models,
mechanisms, and prevention
Nitric oxide in microcirculation,
membrane transport
Assistant Professor
Associate Professor
Dr. Wei Li
Dr. Brandon Weeks
Cell/polymer interactions, cell
microevironments, biomedical devices
High explosives, nanolithography,
microcantilever, crystal growth
Assistant Professor
Professor and Associate Department Chair
Dr. Jeremy Marston
Dr. Theodore F. Wiesner
Fluid and granular flows, cavitation,
high speed imaging
Solar energy, hydrogen
production, CO2 mitigation
Assistant Professor
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering | Box 43121 | Lubbock, TX 79409-3121
T 806.742.3553 | F 806.742.3552 | www.che.ttu.edu