Rice University Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

09/01/2026

For George Hirasaki, Rice has been a constant throughout a remarkable career spanning industry, research, teaching and mentorship.

The A.J. Hartsook Professor Emeritus and research professor reflects on his decades long connection to Rice ChBE, the discoveries that shaped his career and his commitment to supporting the next generation of engineers.

Read more about Hirasaki’s lasting legacy at Rice:
https://chbe.rice.edu/news/lifetime-discovery-and-mentorship-george-hirasakis-rice-legacy

08/26/2026

We’re kicking off a new semester of the Rice ChBE Seminar Series!

Join us Thursday, Sept. 3, as Davide Cavuto presents his work on innovative CVD reactor design and carbon nanotube synthesis.

📅 Sept. 3 | 2:30–3:30 p.m.
📍 Duncan Hall, Room 1055

We hope to see you there!

07/08/2026

Strong academic programs are built on exceptional leadership.

We're excited to recognize the faculty members taking on new leadership roles in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering for the 2026–2027 academic year. Please join us in congratulating:

👏Walter Chapman – Director of Undergraduate Studies
👏Lucas Camargo - Associate Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies
👏Rafael Verduzco – Director of Graduate Studies
👏Tom Senftle – Graduate Admissions Chair
👏Marya Cokar, PhD., P.Eng., CPEM. – Master of Chemical Engineering (MCHE) Program Director
👏Michael Wong– Co-Director, METS

These appointments reflect our department's continued commitment to providing outstanding mentorship, innovative education and an exceptional student experience at every level.

Congratulations to each of these faculty leaders as they help shape the future of Rice Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering.

Read more about these appointments: https://chbe.rice.edu/news/rice-chemical-and-biomolecular-engineering-announces-academic-leadership-appointments-2026

07/07/2026

Not every engineering career begins in a lab — sometimes it starts behind the wheel of a 27-foot-long hot dog.

Congratulations to Rice Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering alum Taylor Schultz, who was selected as one of just 12 recent graduates nationwide to become an official Oscar Mayer "Hotdogger," driving the iconic Wienermobile across the country.

Taylor's journey is a reminder that a ChBE education opens doors to countless paths. By combining leadership, creativity and problem-solving, she's turning an unconventional opportunity into an exciting career adventure.

We're proud to see our alumni making an impact in unexpected and inspiring ways. Congratulations, Taylor! 🌭🎉

Read her story: https://news.rice.edu/news/2026/rice-graduate-lands-coveted-role-driving-oscar-mayer-wienermobile

06/23/2026

Thinking about graduate school this fall?

Take a look at the curriculum structure for Rice University’s Master of Chemical Engineering (MCHE) program, designed to give students both strong technical foundations and the flexibility to specialize in areas like computational chemical processes, energy and advanced materials, and bioprocessing.

📌 Applications for Fall 2026 are still open, but the domestic application deadline is July 1.

Explore the program and apply today: https://chbe.rice.edu/academics/graduate-programs/professional-masters-program/about-mche-program

05/28/2026

From cutting-edge research to meaningful industry connections, the Chevron Lecture on Energy and ChBE Research Symposium brought together students, faculty, alumni and industry leaders for a day of innovation, collaboration and discovery.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, presented, mentored and helped make this event a success — and a special thanks to keynote speaker Michael Tsapatsis for sharing his expertise and to Chris Powers for supporting this event.

Check out highlights from the day and photo gallery below!
🔗 Read more: https://chbe.rice.edu/news/chevron-lecture-research-symposium-showcases-connects-research-industry-and-alumni
📷 Photos: https://riceengineering.smugmug.com/2026/Chevron-Lecture-2026/i-WMR5V8j

05/14/2026

🏆 Congratulations to the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Graduate Student Association (CHBE GSA) at Rice University for being recognized with student organization honors!

This recognition reflects the dedication, leadership and community-building efforts of our graduate students who help make ChBE a vibrant and supportive environment.

A special congratulations to Chase Sellers on receiving the Outstanding Member Award for consistently going above and beyond to support the organization and fellow students. We also want to recognize Jason Adams, recipient of the Hudspeth Award (Advisor of the Year Award), for his outstanding mentorship and dedication to student success.

We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and the people who make our ChBE community stronger every day. 👏

Read more: https://chbe.rice.edu/news/graduate-student-association-recognized-student-organization-honors

05/11/2026

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Shuyuan Yang on the successful defense of her thesis, “Developing a Multicolor GEVI Toolkit for High-Sensitivity and Multiplexed Two-Photon Voltage Imaging of Diverse Neuronal Dynamics" 🎓👏

Shuyuan’s research represents an exciting contribution at the intersection of engineering, biology, and innovation. We are proud to celebrate this important milestone and look forward to seeing the impact of her work.

Please join us in congratulating Shuyuan on this incredible achievement!

05/01/2026

🎉 Celebrating excellence in ChBE at Rice!

Congratulations to our outstanding students recognized in this year’s Engineering Student Awards:

👏 Christina Bencin (B.S., Class of 2027) — REA Leadership Excellence Award
👏 Elliott Chen (B.S., Class of 2028) — Fluor Daniel Scholarship; Rodd Selman Scholarship
👏 Bess Glenn (B.S., Class of 2027) — REA Outstanding Student Award; REA Most Distinguished Junior Awardee; Texas Society of Professional Engineers Most Outstanding Junior Award
👏 Connor Hanula (B.S., Class of 2028) — Rodd Selman Scholarship
👏 Regan Kendrick (B.S., Class of 2027) — Chevron Scholarship
👏 Simon King (B.S., Class of 2028) — Rodd Selman Scholarship; Fluor Daniel Scholarship
👏 Maggie Lim (B.S., Class of 2026) — REA Outstanding Student Award; REA Most Distinguished Senior Awardee
👏 Rafael Ramirez (B.S., Class of 2028) — Louise J. Walsh Scholarship
👏 Candace Schwartz (B.S., Class of 2028) — Rodd Selman Scholarship
👏 Ali Raza Sial (B.S., Class of 2028) — Rodd Selman Scholarship

These recognitions highlight the exceptional talent, leadership, and impact of our Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering students. We’re proud to see them honored for their achievements and contributions across the Rice Engineering & Computing community.

Fostering diversity and an intellectual environment, Rice University is a comprehensive research university located on a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas. Rice produces the next generation of leaders and advances tomorrow’s thinking.

04/28/2026

Big congratulations to the 2026 Akers Design Competition winners! 🎉

The team behind PropylClean—a low-carbon approach to addressing the growing propylene supply gap—took top honors this year, showcasing the kind of innovation and real-world impact that defines Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice.

👏 Shoutout to the winning team:
Gavin Mason, Dian Pan, Maggie Lim, and Joshua He

And congratulations as well to all of this year’s teams for an impressive showcase of talent and ingenuity.

https://chbe.rice.edu/news/propylclean-wins-2026-akers-design-competition