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Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Catalog pages 155-159

Subject abbreviations: CEE, CHE, ENVE The Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering

Charles Wyman, Ph.D., Chair Department Office, A220 Bourns Hall

  • (951) 827-2859; cee.ucr.edu

Professors Harvey Blanch, Ph.D. David R. Cocker, Ph.D. David Kisailus, Ph.D. Ashok K. Mulchandani, Ph.D. W. Ruel Johnson Chair in Environmental Engineering Sharon Walker, Ph.D. John Babbage Chair in Environmental Engineering Jianzhong Wu, Ph.D. Charles Wyman, Ph.D. Ford Motor Company Chair in Environmental Engineering Professor Emeritus Joseph M. Norbeck, Ph.D. Associate Professors Ian Wheeldon, Ph.D. Assistant Professors Kelley Barsanti, Ph.D. Xin Ge, Ph.D. Juchen Guo, Ph.D. Haizhou Liu, Ph.D. Bryan Wong, Ph.D. Ruoxue Yan, Ph.D. ** Adjunct Professors Mark Thomas Durbin, Ph.D. Wayne Miller, Ph.D. Joon Min, Ph.D. Adjunct Associate Professors Kanok Boriboonsomsin, Ph.D. Chan Seung Park, Ph.D. Adjunct Assistant Professors Kanok Boriboonsomsin, Ph.D. Kent Johnson, Ph.D. Georgios Karavalakis, Ph.D. Rajeev Kumar, Ph.D. Mark Matsumoto, PhD. Cooperating Faculty Matthew J. Barth, Ph.D. (Electrical and Computer Engineering) Ariel Dinar, Ph.D. (Environmental Sciences) Boniface Fokwa, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Heejung Jung, Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) Yin Yadong, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Francisco Zaera, Ph.D. (Chemistry)

Majors

The Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering offers B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and in Environmental Engineering, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. For more details, see cee.ucr.edu.

Chemical Engineering focuses on transforming raw materials into useful everyday products. Chemical engineers turn the discoveries of chemists and physicists into commercial realities. They find work in a variety of fields including pharmaceuticals, materials, chemical, fuels, pollution control, medicine, and nuclear and electronic industries. At UCR, the B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering offers students three options: Biochemical Engineering, focusing on biochemical processes; Nanotechnology, focusing on nanoscale processes; or Chemical Engineering, emphasizing traditional chemical engineering issues.

The program’s educational objectives are to produce graduates who attain high levels of technical expertise to enable their achievement in diverse chemical engineering practice and research, or in allied careers, prepare them for graduate level education, and enable them to be successful members of the professional community, for the benefit of our constituents.

The Chemical Engineering B.S. degree program at UCR is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, abet.org.

Environmental Engineering deals with design and construction of processes and equipment intended to lessen the impact of man’s activities on the environment. With the growing importance of environmental quality, the environmental engineer plays a pivotal role in modern industrial activity. Environmental engineers are involved in a wide range of activities including the design of alternative 155 / Programs and Courses

fueled vehicles, the development of renewable energy sources, the design of equipment for solid waste collection and disposal, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, air pollution control systems, and hazardous waste management. At UCR, the B.S. degree in Environmental Engineering allows students to concentrate on air and/or water quality.

The program’s educational objectives are to produce graduates who attain high levels of technical expertise to enable their achievement in diverse environmental engineering practice and research, or in allied careers, prepare them for graduate level education, and enable them to be successful members of the professional community, for the benefit of our constituents.

The Environmental Engineering B.S. degree program at UCR is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, abet.org.

All undergraduates in the College of Engineering must see an advisor at least annually. Visit student.engr.ucr.edu for details.

University Requirements

See Undergraduate Studies section.

College Requirements

See The Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, Colleges and Programs section.

The Chemical Engineering major and the Environmental Engineering major use the following major requirements to satisfy the college’s Natural Sciences and Mathematics breadth requirement.

CHEM 01LA, CHEM 01LB, CHEM 01LC

Major Requirements

Chemical Engineering

Students must choose either a Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or Nanotechnology option.

  • 1. Lower-division requirements (75 units)

CHEM 01LA, CHEM 01LB, CHEM 01LC, CHEM 008A, CHEM 008B, CHEM 008C, CHEM 08LA, CHEM 08LB, CHEM 08LC

  • 2. Upper-division requirements (63 units)

CHE 175A, CHE 175B

  • 3. Option requirements: choose one option
  • a) Biochemical Engineering option (19 units)
  • (4) Four (4) units of technical electives

chosen from BIEN 125, BIEN 140A/ CEE 140A, BIEN 159/CEE 159, BIOL 121/MCBL 121, CEE 125, CEE 132, CEE 135, CHE 102, CHE 150

  • b) Chemical Engineering option (17 units)
  • (2) Sixteen (16) units of technical electives

chosen from CEE 125, CEE 132, CEE 135, CHE 102, CHE 131, CHE 136, CHE 171, ENVE 120, ENVE 133, ENVE 134, ENVE 138

  • c) Nanotechnology option (20 units)
  • (5) Eight (8) units of technical electives

chosen from CHE 102, CHE 131, ENVE 133, ME 114, MSE 160, MSE 161

Visit the Student Affairs Office in the College of Engineering or student.engr.ucr.edu for a sample program.

Environmental Engineering

Students must choose either an Air Pollution Control Technology or a Water Pollution Control Technology option.

  • 1. Lower-division requirements (76 units)

CHEM 01LA, CHEM 01LB, CHEM 01LC, CHEM 008A, CHEM 008B, CHEM 08LA, CHEM 08LB

  • 2. Upper-division requirements (69 units)

ENVE 171, ENVE 175A, ENVE 175B

units)

  • a) Air Pollution Control Technology option

CHE 102, ENSC 135/CHEM 135/ENTX 135, ENVE 144/ENSC 144, ENVE 138, ENVE 145

  • b) Water Pollution Control Technology option

ENSC 136, ENSC 163

ENVE 144/ENSC 144, ENVE 145

Visit the Student Affairs Office in the College of Engineering or student.engr.ucr.edu for a sample program.

Graduate Program

The Graduate Program in Chemical and Environmental Engineering offers training leading to the degrees of M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. Fields of specialization include biochemical engineering and bioengineering, environmental biotechnology, air quality systems engineering, water quality systems engineering, thermodynamics, advanced materials, and nanotechnology.

Combined B.S. + M.S. Five-Year Program The college offers combined B.S.+ M.S. programs in both Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering designed to lead to a Bachelor of Science degree as well as a Master of Science degree in five years. Applicants for this program must have a high school GPA above 3.6, a combined SAT Reasoning score above 1950 (or ACT plus Writing equivalent), complete the Entry Level Writing Requirement before matriculation, and have sufficient mathematics preparation to enroll in calculus in their first quarter as freshmen.

Interested students who are entering their junior year should check with their academic advisor for information on eligibility and other details.

Admission Applicants should have a degree in chemical and environmental engineering or closely related fields, have a satisfactory overall GPA from their undergraduate studies, good letters of recommendation, and high scores on the GRE General Test. Normally, students admitted to regular standing have satisfied all prerequisite course work. Under special circumstances, students who have not completed all undergraduate requirements may be admitted provided that the deficiencies are corrected to the satisfaction of the student’s advisory committee within the first year of graduate study. Courses taken for this purpose do not count towards an advanced degree. International students, permanent residents, and even U.S. citizens whose native language is not English and who do not have a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree from an institution Chemical and Environmental Engineering / 156 where English is the exclusive language of instruction must complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 550 (paper-based test), 213 (computer-based), or 80 (internet-based).

Language Requirement All students whose native language is not English must achieve a “clear pass” on the TAST or SPEAK test before the completion of their first year or they will be asked to leave the program. However, for those who receive a “conditional pass,” a departmental committee will evaluate their English proficiency before a final decision is made.

Course Work To ensure that advanced degree recipients in the graduate program have advanced knowledge in mathematics and chemical engineering principles that form the foundation for chemical and environmental engineering, a core course program has been implemented. All M.S. and Ph.D. students must participate in the core course program. Students who have completed these (or equiva- lent) courses elsewhere may petition to have the core course requirement waived or some of their units transferred (see the Graduate Divi- sion policy for transferring course units). Com- petency in these areas will be tested as part of the comprehensive exam for M.S. students and in the written preliminary examination for Ph.D. students. The current core courses are as follows:

CEE 200 (Advanced Engineering Computa- tions)

CEE 202 (Transport Phenomena)

CEE 204 (Advanced Kinetics and Reaction Engineering)

CEE 206 (Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics)

Academic Appeals Process Policies and procedures relating to Academic Appeals can be found through the UCR Graduate Division link, graduate.ucr.edu/academic_affairs.html.

Incoming students without a B.S. degree in chemical or environmental engineering must demonstrate competency in these areas either by taking the appropriate undergraduate courses and/or by passing the written preliminary exam. At UCR, the required courses are CHE 100, CHE 110A, CHE 110B, ENVE 171, CHE 114, CHE 116, CHE 120, CHE 130, and ENGR 118. Students may also be required to take some of the above courses to satisfy the prerequisites of the core graduate courses.

Each quarter, all M.S. and Ph.D. students in residence must enroll in CEE 286 (Colloquium in Chemical and Environmental Engineering). In addition, all M.S. and Ph.D. students must participate each year in the CEE Graduate Student Symposium, usually held just before the beginning of the fall quarter.

Professional Development Training

  • 1. Two sessions of CEE 286 each quarter will

be dedicated to professional development. The subjects will include but are not limited to: research ethics, scientific and technical writing, academic careers, employment opportunities beyond academia, and professional networking.

  • 2. A weekly one hour networking meeting with a

visiting colloquia speaker.

  • 3. Fall quarter fellowship/grant writing

workshops. Focus will be on incoming domestic students applying for NSF graduate fellowships.

Master’s Degree

The Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering offers the M.S. degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering.

Plan I (Thesis) requires completion of a minimum of 36 units of approved course work including the core courses and submission of an acceptable M.S. thesis. At least 24 of these units must be in regular lecture graduate courses (200 series courses). No more than 4 units of CEE 290 or CEE 297 combined and 6 units of CEE 286 or special topics courses (CEE 250 or CEE 260 series) may apply towards the 36 units.

Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) requires completion of a minimum of 36 units of approved course work including the core courses and successful passage of a comprehensive examination. At least 28 of these units must be in regular lecture graduate courses (200-series courses), and none may be in courses numbered CEE 286, CEE 290, CEE 297, CEE 299, or CEE 302.

Examination - The exam consists of three written tests in three different areas emphasizing graduate level fundamental knowledge and breadth of the study area rather than specifics covered in individual courses. Exams areas can include, but are not limited to:

  • 1. Advanced Air Pollution Control and

Engineering

  • 2. Advanced Chemical Engineering

Thermodynamics

  • 3. Advanced Kinetics and Reaction Engineering
  • 4. Physical and Chemical Separation Processes
  • 5. Transport Phenomena

An oral follow-up session may be requested by the examination committee following its evaluation of the written exam. No more than two attempts to pass the exam are allowed. Students who fail the exam once and then want to switch to the thesis plan should contact the graduate advisor. Students who fail the exam twice may not switch to the thesis plan.

The Comprehensive Exam is only offered once an academic year during the Spring quarter. Students should state intent to take the exam by week 10 of Winter quarter.

For the M.S. degree, students must complete a minimum of three quarters in residence in the UC with a GPA of 3.00 or better in all 100- and 200-level course work related to the degree.

Thesis Committee The committee consists of three members. The student and advisor nominate the committee before the end of the first year with the concurrence of the graduate committee. After review of the nominations, the dean of the Graduate Division appoints the committee on behalf of the Graduate Council. The committee, once approved by the graduate dean, rather than the department, becomes responsible for the student’s academic guidance and evaluation. The chairman of the committee is the director of the candidate’s research and is normally a faculty member of the CEE department or a cooperating faculty member. A member may be appointed who is a researcher on campus, from off-campus, or a visiting lecturer within the department; however, a memo indicating the academic degree and affiliation of the nominated member, as well as a curriculum vitae, must accompany such a request. (Memos need not accompany the nomination of an adjunct faculty member.) After the committee is formed, the committee must approve the subject of the thesis. A joint meeting of the committee members and the student should be held before work on the thesis is begun to ensure the topic is clear and acceptable to all. Once the thesis is completed, all three members of the committee must approve the thesis and sign the title page. Students must give a departmental seminar presentation of their thesis work to the department and members of the academic community before completing the thesis.

Normative Time to Degree 6 quarters

Doctoral Degree

The Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering offers the Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. Satisfying the requirements for the degree consists of four parts:

  • 1. Successful completion of an approved

program of course work

  • 2. Passing a written preliminary examination
  • 3. Approval of a dissertation proposal
  • 4. Defense and approval of the dissertation

Course Work Upon choosing a faculty advi- sor, each Ph.D. student is appointed a Ph.D. advisory committee consisting of two CEE faculty members and the faculty advisor. This advisory committee is responsible for guid- ing the students in formulating their research activities and preparing for the preliminary and qualifying exams.

The program of course work is formulated by each student and a faculty advisor in the first or second quarter after admission to the program and must be approved by the student’s advisor and advisory committee. Every student must complete a program of study that includes:

  • 1. A major area of study intended to increase

the student’s depth of knowledge in an engineering research specialty and

  • 2. A minor area of study intended to support

and increase the student’s breadth of knowledge in the major area

The CEE graduate program requires a coherent program of

  • 1. Sixteen (16) units of core courses and

157 / Programs and Courses

  • 2. Eight (8) units of graduate and/or upper-

division work approved by the advisory committee

None of these credits may be in courses numbered between CEE 250 and CEE 270, CEE 286, CEE 290, CEE 297, CEE 299, or CEE 302.

Preliminary Examination The preliminary examination tests students’ understanding of the fundamental principles of chemical and environmental engineering at the undergraduate level. This comprehensive examination consists of three written tests in three different areas selected from the following five subjects:

  • 1. Thermodynamics
  • 2. Kinetics
  • 3. Transport (heat and mass transfer, fluid

dynamics)

  • 4. Air pollution control and engineering
  • 5. Water quality engineering

The three subjects selected should be closely connected to the student’s undergraduate training and approved by the student’s advisory committee. Students who fail all three subjects on the preliminary exam must leave the Ph.D. program.

Preliminary Examination Retest - Students who fail one or two subjects of the exam are granted a final attempt to pass a makeup written examination that includes an oral defense of their answers in front of a faculty committee.

Students who fail one or two subjects after the retest must enroll in remedial undergraduate courses and pass with a grade of “B+” or better. Credits from these remedial courses do not count toward the Ph.D. course work requirement. Students who fail all three subjects after the retest must leave the Ph.D. program.

Teaching Requirement All students must be employed as teaching assistants for at least one quarter. All TAs must take CEE 302 (Teaching Practicum) to help them learn effective teaching methods such as handling discussion sections; preparing and handling laboratory sections; preparing and grading homework, examinations, and lab reports; and student relations.

Oral Qualifying Examination Selection of the Qualifying Committee is as follows: 2 members are selected by the Graduate Committee, 2 members are selected by the student, and the student’s advisor will chair the committee. All members of the qualifying committee are expected to have the appropriate expertise to guide and evaluate a candidate’s research. No more than 1 member can be a non- academic senate member. After review of the nominations, the dean of the Graduate Division appoints the committee on behalf of the Graduate Council. This committee becomes responsible for the student’s academic guidance and evaluation until advancement to candidacy and administers the qualifying examination.

Dissertation Proposal After successful completion of the written preliminary examination, each student, with advisement from an advisor, prepares a dissertation proposal. Typically, students submit a dissertation proposal to their qualifying committee within one year after successfully completing the written preliminary examination. The proposal should clearly demonstrate the student’s adequate preparation for the completion of the thesis research, which includes but is not limited to a thorough review of the pertinent literature, a presentation and discussion of the candidate’s own research, and a detailed research plan with sufficient breadth and depth for the completion of the thesis. The qualifying committee chair schedules an oral defense normally within one month of the written proposal submission. The presentation is given only to the dissertation committee members.

The oral presentation/defense of the proposal focuses on the dissertation problem. Students should demonstrate considerable depth of knowledge in the student’s area of specialization and a clear understanding of the research methods that are needed for successful completion of the dissertation research. The oral presentation/defense begins with a presentation by students on their dissertation topic and is followed by questions and suggestions from the qualifying committee.

On the basis of the written proposal and oral defense, the qualifying committee decides whether the student should be advanced to candidacy, asked to modify and enhance the proposal, or requested to withdraw from the program.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination Following advancement to candidacy, students formally focus on their dissertation research. The progress of the dissertation is monitored by the student’s dissertation committee. Candidates should interact frequently with members of their dissertation committee to insure that dissertation progress is acceptable.

The graduate committee nominates and approves the dissertation committee after consideration of the suggestions made by the student and thesis advisor. The dissertation committee consists of a minimum of three UCR Academic Senate members. The chair and majority of members must be from Chemical and Environmental Engineering. All committee members should be in a position to offer guidance and be able to judge the scholarship of the dissertation work. Upon recommendation of the graduate advisor, doctoral dissertation committees are appointed by the dean of the Graduate Division.

After completing the dissertation research, students must submit a written copy of the dissertation for approval for defense by the student’s dissertation committee. Once a draft has been approved, an oral defense of the dissertation is scheduled. This defense consists of a seminar open to the entire academic community, followed by a question-and- answer period conducted by the dissertation committee.

Students must complete at least six quarters in residence in the UC with a GPA of 3.00 or better in all 100- and 200-level course work related to the degree. Normative Time to Degree Three years for students with a UCR M.S. degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (five years for those without an M.S. degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering)

Courses