About Chemical Engineering
The chemical engineering curriculum was first listed in the 1903 university catalog, and the first graduate was Robert F. Hyatt of Monticello, Arkansas, in 1907. Mr. Hyatt was also captain of the baseball team and left-half back of the football team. The first course to be labeled as Chemical Engineering appeared in the 1935 catalog; it was a chemistry course called "Elements of Chemical Engineering." Since then the department—as well as the chemical engineering field—has grown in scope and scale.
Like all programs in the U of A College of Engineering, our enrollment continues to rise. We generally have 200-250 undergraduate students and 40 graduate students enrolled in our programs. Most of our undergraduate students are from Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas, but we also have students from many other states and throughout the world. Approximately 50% of undergraduates are female. In addition to external and university scholarships and fellowships, the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering was able to offer over $100k in scholarships in AY24-25 to undergraduate and graduate students.
Our goal is to have every one of our students participate in one or more experiential learning activities such as research, co-op/internship, and study abroad during their undergraduate studies. Research opportunities are enhanced by student research grant funding through the Honors College. Chemical Engineering regularly has the highest percentage of Honors students in the College of Engineering. Although the majority of our graduates enter industry after graduation, an increasing number choose to attend graduate school or professional programs such as medical, dental, law or pharmacy schools. Starting salaries averaged more than $78,000 for B.S. graduates in 2024.
Faculty, staff, and students are engaged in research programs funded by federal, state, and industrial sources. Membrane separations is the major focus for several faculty, and our department is the lead site (with the University of Colorado Boulder, Pennsylvania State University, and New Jersey Institute of Technology as partners) of the Membrane Science, Engineering, & Technology (MAST) Center, one of the longest-running university-industry research partnerships fostered by the National Science Foundation. The world-class work of our faculty in chemical process safety and life cycle assessment has saved lives and resulted in more sustainable approaches to food production. Our biochemical and bioprocess engineering programs have spun off companies producing new therapeutic drugs. In partnership with the Institute for Nanoscience & Engineering and the Arkansas High Performance Computing Center, our research teams are designing, fabricating, and testing the next generation of nanomaterials.
Contact Information
Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Arkansas
3202 Bell Engineering Center
800 West Dickson Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201
Phone: 479-575-4951
FAX: 479-575-7926
Vision
Our vision is to foster the professional and personal growth of our students, faculty, and staff. We strive to instill in all undergraduate and graduate students the life-long skills of critical thinking and creative problem solving enabling their success in the global economy through a dynamic range of career paths not necessarily involving the practice of engineering. We promote an understanding of the role of chemical engineering in addressing the needs of society including environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Mission
The Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering produces outstanding chemical engineering graduates who are well-known for their technical proficiency, work ethic, and practical ability to apply chemical engineering principles. Areas of technical excellence that reflect the dynamic nature of chemical engineering will be promoted to sharpen the relevant skills of our students, faculty, and staff. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in practical training prior to graduation that could include cooperative education, summer internships, or work in a research setting. The department strives to provide a student-friendly environment where all students are recognized as individuals and conscientiously advised and mentored in a congenial, professional atmosphere.
Values
We value an intellectually challenging and stimulating learning environment that:
- informs students early in their studies of the full range of opportunities available to our graduates;
- provides a selection of core courses that provide a firm foundation in relevant knowledge and leadership, communication, and teamwork skills that will provide a unified view of the principles of chemical engineering and sustain life-long learning;
- identifies and provides elective courses that supplement students' core education;
- continually reviews the undergraduate and graduate curricula to assess their relevance in the light of economic, technical, social, and environmental developments, and make adjustments accordingly;
- continually assesses new methods for improving our student's educational experiences;
- encourages the participation of undergraduates in research;
- encourages undergraduate students to fulfill degree requirements via the Honors College;
- develops and maintains state-of-the-art undergraduate and graduate laboratories and experiments;
- encourages student participation in external experiences available to students, including industrial co-op assignments, internships at research institutions, and programs for study abroad, for example;
- emphasizes issues of sustainable development throughout the curriculum, particularly in design courses;
- trains students in critical thinking and in the identification, formulation, and solution of open-ended engineering problems; and
- creates awareness in students of their professional responsibility to the ethical, safe, and environmentally-conscious practice of engineering.
We value cutting-edge research that educates and trains our students, has a beneficial effect on society, and acts as a catalyst for economic development with particular emphasis to:
- create a collegial atmosphere that promotes productive collaboration among energetic faculty, staff, and students of all levels;
- be recognized nationally and internationally for the quality of sponsored research conducted by our faculty, staff, and students; and
- recruit and mentor highly motivated and well prepared graduate students who will have a lasting impact on the future of the profession and society.
We value our faculty and staff who form the heart of the community that gives these values meaning and supports the Mission and Vision of the department, college, and university.
We value students of intellectual and ethical integrity who make the community complete through their efforts both in and out of the classroom.