What is Chemical Engineering?

Explore the many diverse applications of this exciting field.

What is Life Science Engineering?

Discover the cutting-edge applications and subspecialties of life science engineering.

Life Science Engineering

Chemical & Life Science Engineering Research

Learn more about our Areas of Research.

Our research

Apply Today

Learn how you can be a part of the Chemical & Life Science Engineering Department.

Undergraduate Degrees

Graduate Degrees

Department of Chemical & Life Science Engineering

Chemical and life science engineering is a diverse engineering field involved in the development of chemicals, biochemical and biologics in a variety of applications including polymers, nanomaterials, pharmaceuticals, clean fuels, environmental protection and medicine.

Researchers and students in the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering apply their talents to projects in a variety of areas including departmental focal areas of pharmaceutical engineering, stem cell engineering, nanotechnology and materials science.

Independent and interdisciplinary efforts within the department take place across different academic units and shared facilities. State-of-the-art facilities such as the Nanomaterials Characterization Center, the Center for High Performance Computing, the Center for the Study of Biological Complexity and the Massey Cancer Center provide modern equipment and technical expertise. Our collaborative ties with faculty in life sciences, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and forensics have led to multidisciplinary research projects.

Featured Videos

A Holistic Approach to Streamlining Pharmaceutical Processes

Capstone 2019 - Waterproof Osseointegration Covering

Nicotine Busters: Rapid Field Test for Nicotine in E-Liquids

News and Events

VCU is part of a national team seeking to improve health for patients with spinal cord injury

Cain Scholarship winner Samuel Adu-Gyamfi seeks to make an impact

VCU Engineering community engagement leader honored by Cary Elementary

‘Alexa for chemistry’: National Science Foundation puts VCU and partners on fast track to build open network

Five Virginia Universities Receive Internship Program Grant Funds

Q&A with Nathaniel Kinsey, Ph.D.

Computer science professor to receive 2019 service award from the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society

Intern’s work identifying malaria antibodies impresses researchers

Medicine in motion

Meet the class of 2023

New faculty and academic promotions

VCU Engineering appoints new director of makerspaces

Hooman Tafreshi, Ph.D., joins editorial board of the journal Separation and Purification Technology

How a VCU grad student is getting her degree in style

VCU Engineering appoints senior associate dean for academic affairs

Philanthropist and businessman C. Kenneth Wright, who helped transform VCU, dies

The gift that keeps on giving

Engineering M.D.-Ph.D. student Jefferson Overlin receives NIH award

Leonard becomes College of Engineering’s Executive Dean

The heat is on

Streamlining pharmaceutical processes

VCU researchers gain insight into what makes a healthy cell stable

VCU Engineering faculty members receive Presidential Research Quest Fund grants

The Internet Ecosystem Innovation Committee (IEIC) welcomes new founding academic member Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

State approves nation’s first Ph.D. program in pharmaceutical engineering

VCU Engineering’s diversity and inclusion efforts recognized by the American Society for Engineering Education

Undergraduates from across the country train in mechanobiology research at VCU

Early experiences at VCU ignited Goldwater scholar’s passion for research

Computer science undergraduates conduct natural language processing research at Johns Hopkins University

VCU Engineering poised to lead cyber network in Central Virginia

Computer science researcher receives Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award

Two VCU Engineering faculty named fellows of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Start your engines!

Biomedical engineering undergraduate conducting cancer research at Yale

Postdocs win Early Investigator Awards

VCU Engineering-based research to advance orthopaedic implants and clean air earn 2019 CRCF awards

New NIH funding will support research into how the body responds to medical implants

Assistant professor receives 2019 Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Aerosols in Medicine

Michael Friedman, Ph.D., receives young investigator award

VCU collaboration with industry, universities, receives Virginia Catalyst grant

Faculty research on vaginal microbiomes and preterm birth published in Nature Medicine

Gabrielle Gurdin to present at Grace Hopper Celebration

Computer engineering undergraduate wins Goldwater Scholarship

Announcing the 2019-2020 VCU Undergraduate Research Fellows

Making Smart Cities Smarter

Congratulations, DERI fellows!

Q&A with Mo Jiang, Ph.D.

Pasta + red = learning: How this NSF grant recipient taught herself to succeed with dyslexia

Thea Pepperl, Ph.D., selected as Service-Learning Faculty Fellow

Biomedical engineering and cardiovascular medicine team receive major grant

From Data to Decision

Meet mechanical engineering student Tyriq Clay from VCU’s TRIO program

Class of 2019: Wendy Sun’s passion for medicine, engineering and inclusion leads to Yale

Doctoral alum receives best paper award from Applied Spectroscopy

Post-baccalaureate student awarded for best poster at women in computing conference

Doctoral student receives first place poster award at FiltCon 2019

VCU places second in Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

Class of 2019: How Myles Boyd doubled down on his dream to earn an engineering degree

Up to Code: Music major finds skills and inspiration in new computer science course for non-majors

VCU Engineering offers new undergraduate summer research programs

Q&A with Jessika Rojas, Ph.D.

Gupta delivers keynote in Global Conference on Global Warming

Scoliosis, seizures, desire to help others lead 14-year-old to study engineering

VCU’s Jordana Kron is searching for answers to a mystery disease

Capstone returns to the Stu

Capstone 2019 Highlight: Iron Meteorite Imaging System

Demo Day to showcase VCU students’ most promising startups and innovations

Capstone 2019 Highlight: Ambulance Drone for Overdose Response

VCU creates Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering and Sciences

College students present more than 100 prototypes, designs at VCU Engineering expo

MNE students receive scholarships from the U.S. Department of Energy and the American Nuclear Society

VCU hosts solar competition for middle schoolers

Senior academic advisor co-authors book on women of color in higher ed

VCU invention improves solar cell light harvesting

Capstone 2019 Highlight: Waterproof Osseointegration Covers

Capstone 2019 Highlight: Box Turtle Tracker

Q&A with Brian A. Taylor, Ph.D.

Capstone 2019 Highlight: DropLock

VCU students help Richmond high schoolers navigate the college application process

VCU researchers create new silk material for biomedical uses

Capstone 2019 Highlight: Wireless Neonatal Vital Sign Monitor

Q&A with Hong-Sheng Zhou, Ph.D.

Doctoral candidate Xiang He receives award from Chinese government

Capstone 2019 Highlight: Quick Release Rowing Assistive Grips

Hong-Sheng Zhou, Ph.D., receives Google Faculty Research Award

VCU programs rise in updated U.S. News & World Report rankings

Capstone 2019 Highlight: Dynamic Center-of-Gravity Display

Capstone 2019 Highlight: Anthem Operation Dashboard

VCU Engineering’s newest building has a past

Q&A with Carrie Peterson, Ph.D.

2019 Women in Engineering Luncheon

Multidisciplinary collaborations lead to advances in pharmaceutical synthesis

Nuclear engineering doctoral students receive best poster awards

New chemical and life science engineering Ph.D. program approved

Professional Development for Engineers

VCU students pitch innovative ideas to improve health, education and energy

Medicines for All Institute develops new, cost-saving synthesis of anti-HIV drug

VCU Engineering faculty elected senior members of the National Academy of Inventors

Alumnus credits VCU as the catalyst for his success

VCU Engineering’s billboard campaign begins

VCU College of Engineering to host the American Nuclear Society National Student Conference

VCU’s DAR newsletter features Brian Campbell

Alumni Update: Isaac Rodriguez and SweetBio

VCU College of Engineering is in the news as Virginia prepares for arrival of Amazon HQ2

VCU and VUU to offer dual degrees in physics and engineering or chemistry and engineering this fall

Richmond heat map project wins Smart 50 Award

Device created by VCU students could address issues with incubator covers for premature babies

International award-winning technology protects the power grid by hacking would-be hackers

2018 Year in Review

Massey scientists develop world’s most advanced drug delivery system with the highest tumor-targeting ability

Tang studies nanoparticles as a means to develop more effective treatments for drug-resistant solid tumors

In the News: BME alumni startup is featured in RVAHub.

In the News: VCU is meeting industry demand for IT programs, says Dean Boyan in letter to Richmond Times-Dispatch.

In the News: The Top 5 podcast talks with MNE alumna Donielle Boateng

Jennifer Wayne, Ph.D., wins prestigious honor from American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Engineering Student wins AIChE Award

Henry J. Donahue, Ph.D., named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

In the news: Richmond Times-Dispatch features Dean Boyan and engineering faculty on Virginia’s “cyber moon shot”

Engineering for Virginia’s Workforce

In the news: Richmond Times-Dispatch features engineer-turned-entrepreneur

VCU’s newest graduates reflect on the moments that mattered

Build it and they will come

VCU researchers discover new insights into how droplets separate from fibers

In the news: NBC News talks with VCU Engineering’s dean and a computer science senior about Amazon HQ2.

VCU research to be advanced on International Space Station

School of Education facilitates STEM discussion with White House advisor

In the news: BME alum Alexandria Ritchie (B.S. ’18) wins first place in the rvAwesome Founders awards Student category

Computer science and biomedical engineering projects take top honors in 2018 Dean’s Undergraduate Research Symposium

Hyperloop at VCU team’s pod vehicle design passes first hurdle

Innovative Sternheimer Awards announced

VCU Engineering’s marketing and communications team wins three top MarCom Awards

Innovation by Milos Manic, Ph.D., and researchers from Idaho National Laboratory receives R&D 100 Award

Doctoral student’s research showcased at Science Pub RVA

VCU team wins Virginia caregiver hackathon

Biomedical engineering postdoctoral fellow receives TRISH Fellowship

VCU College of Engineering hires Brian Campbell as executive director of development

Ivory Coast, VCU form partnership to improve access to lifesaving medicines

College of Engineering researchers win second green chemistry award

Doctoral student’s research featured on cover of The Journal of Applied Physics

VCU receives NIH award to study mutation in heart disease

VCU College of Engineering offers post-baccalaureate certificate programs in cybersecurity and data science

‘She’s not going to let anything stop her’

Pharmacy on Demand initiative moves forward

Mary Beth (Bird) Knipper (B.S.’10) Wins 10 Under 10 Award

Get on board: Computer science senior Megan Charity offers users a better ride through virtual reality

VCU team places third in Biomedical Engineering Society Design Competition

WeatherCubes: Thinking Globally, Measuring Locally

New computing specialization offered to VCU undergraduates in all majors

VCU Engineering students lead the pack in powering the future

In the news: Richmond-Times Dispatch

VCU launches ‘Innovation Challenges’ competition to solve problems facing education, energy and health

Unmet needs in assistive technology and prosthetics take center stage at VCU College of Engineering’s HealthHacks Nov. 3-4, 2018

Making car batteries with biocarbon derived from corn?

Braden Goddard, Ph.D., receives Young Former Student Award from Texas A&M University’s Department of Nuclear Engineering

VCU College of Engineering selected to host 2019 IEEE Magnetics Society Summer School

VCU’s DAR newsletter features Philip O’Connor

Students Develop Rapid Nicotine Test for E-Cigarettes

Andy Hobson wins VCU Alumni GOLD Award

Hunter Andrews and Justin Bresson recognized in the 2018 Innovations in Nuclear Technology R&D Awards

In the News: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Supathorn Phongikaroon, Ph.D., to direct VCU's nuclear engineering education program

Fundamental research hailed as “new horizon” in hypersonic flight

Richmond Inno’s 25 Under 25

Record-breaking attendance and dazzling innovations at fifth annual RamHacks

Meet the 2018-19 Wright Scholars

Research interns Rami Dahman and Angelica Sunga receive VMEC Gold Scholar Awards

VCU Engineering hosts RamHacks, one of the nation’s top hackathons, Sept. 22-23, 2018

Cydney Dennis wins SREB award

Department of Biomedical Engineering hosts undergraduate research experience

Biomedical engineering service learning course helps abroad and at home

Engineering, arts and medicine collaboration creates 3-D training model for resident surgeons

First Look: Meet some fantastic new VCU students as they settle into their first semester.

VCU College of Engineering welcomes 12 new faculty members

Engineering East Hall makes “50 Reasons to love VCU” list

$3M grant will greatly expand STEM female faculty recruitment, retention and advancement at VCU

VCU researchers explore strategy to give damaged muscles new life

Rebecca Walker wins NASA Fellowship

Justine Drobitch receives National Science Foundation-funded internship

Robert Klenke, Ph.D., reflects on nearly two decades of teaching at VCU

All dressed up with somewhere to go: How this entrepreneur, transgender activist and RPI graduate lives life out in the open

After Historic SpaceX Debut, Hyperloop at VCU Sets Its Sights on the Future

VCU Awarded $1M to Engage More Students in Science, Regardless of Background

Fascinated by technology and drawn to art, Tammi Chen brings eye for detail to VCU’s Hyperloop quest

Hyperloop at VCU: Meet the Dream Team

The business behind Hyperloop at VCU

This Quidditch-Playing Criminal Justice Major Is Helping Build the Transportation System of Tomorrow

Team founder crafts vision for Hyperloop at VCU

Scientist, Artist, Inventor, Dean: The Many Sides of Shawn Brixey

The Sprint to SpaceX: Inside VCU’s Dash to Beat the Clock — and the Odds — at the Hyperloop Finals

Hyperloop at VCU finishes construction of SpaceX Hyperloop competition pod

VCU Engineering’s Marketing and Communications Team Recognized at 71st Annual Virginia Public Relations Awards

Hyperloop at VCU students to unveil pod for SpaceX competition

VCU blasts into SpaceX Hyperloop finals

VCU College of Engineering holds groundbreaking ceremony for new collaboration, research and makerspace facility

Biomedical Engineering Graduate Wins OZY Genius Award

Fulbright Scholar Develops Technology to Bring Independence to People with Disabilities

Engineering Students, Recent Grads Spent Senior Year Tackling Augmented Reality

UROP Spotlight: Using Zebrafish to Study Neuron Development

Experts from VCU’s College of Engineering and Wilder School Explain Why Virginia Should Expand Distributed Solar Energy Usage

Brandon Watts Will Be the First in His Family to Graduate from College. Here’s How He Did It.

Alumni spotlight: Jose Ortiz

Bridget McInnes, Ph.D., Named a 2018 Outstanding Faculty Mentor

Doctoral Candidate Lauren Griggs to Receive VCU’s Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment

VCU Engineering Researcher’s Study to Power Next Generation Optical Telecommunications Published in the Journal Nature

VCU’s engineering school becomes the VCU College of Engineering

Computer Science Major Receives NSF Graduate Fellowship for Research on the Internet of Things

Engineering Student Researches Machine Learning Related to Language Processing

NSF awards VCU a $1.2M grant to train math and science teachers for the Richmond region

VCU’s schools of Education and Engineering Receive Army Grant to Promote STEM Engagement in High-Needs Schools

Students Present Innovative Prototypes at Annual VCU Engineering Design Expo

Hyperloop Team on a Mission: Build Pod for SpaceX’s Final Round of Competition

Demo Day showcases VCU student-led startups as they compete for $25,000 in funding

VCU Professors Join Elite Biomedical Engineering Group

VCU’S NUCLEAR ENGINEERING GRADUATE PROGRAM IS RANKED NUMBER 24 BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

Manic Is General Chair and Keynote Speaker in Major Conferences

From the Next Avenue news website:

Chemical engineering researcher will send experiments with foams and emulsions to International Space Station

VCU Engineering student team selected for 2018 National Academy of Inventors Student Innovation Showcase

Gupton and McQuade to Receive ACS Affordable Green Chemistry Award

Leveraging Twitter Sentiment with Data Science: CS Researchers Design Systems for More Emotionally Aware Social Media

VCU Team Advances in Cyber Defense Competition

VCU's schools of Engineering and the Arts partnered to screen film about movie star — and electrical engineer — Hedy Lamarr

VCU’s DAR newsletter features VCU Engineering director of marketing and communications

Engineering Student Explores AI and the Allure of Travel During Semester-long Study Abroad in Scotland

Computer science students land jobs with top tech companies

VCU School of Engineering receives GO Virginia funding to support commercialization of pharmaceutical manufacturing technology

Doctoral Student Daniel Bond’s Research Will Help NASA Improve Protective Materials for Deep Space Travel

VCU Engineering is expanding: announcing VCU’s new Engineering Research Building

Jayasimha Atulasimha, Ph.D., Is Named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers

VCU Team One of 20 Selected Internationally for 2018 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition Finals

For students in VCU’s Pre-X program, no idea is too big or too small

VCU Engineering Professor Receives Governor’s Highest Award for Teaching Excellence

VCU Researcher Develops Advanced Alternative to Glaucoma Eye Drops

Daniel Conway, Ph.D., Receives Biomedical Engineering Society CMBE Rising Star Award

Nathaniel Kinsey, Ph.D., Receives Air Force Research Award to Study How Light Interacts with — and Changes — Materials

Cool Runnings: For MNE Alumnus Brad Trevillian (B.S.’06), Internships and Capstone Set a Path for Leadership with Trane

Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Student Presents at Conference

Robert J. Mattauch, Ph.D., Receives IEEE’s 2018 Microwave Pioneer Award

VCU Hyperloop Team Makes It to Final Round of SpaceX Competition

More news

Sep

BME Seminar with Vivek Shenoy, Ph.D.

12:00 PM

Engineering East Hall | Room 1232

Sep

CarMax On-Campus Recruitment Day

2:00 PM

Engineering West Hall, room 235 Engineering East Hall, Belvidere entrance and room 4229

Sep

CLSE Seminar with Daniel Cook, Ph.D.

1:00 PM

Engineering West Hall, room 401

Nov

Computer Science Day

9:00 AM

Engineering West Hall | Room 101

Oct

MNE Seminar with Mark D. DeHart, Ph.D.

1:00 PM

The Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering presents Mark D. DeHart, Ph.D., directorate fellow and senior reactor physicist at Idaho National Laboratory.

Oct

Discovering your customers

12:00 PM

Main Hospital - M1-422

Nov

Engineering Undergraduate Research Symposium

11:00 AM

Engineering West Hall | Lobby

Sep

Fall 2019 Engineering Internship and Career Fair

9:00 AM

Engineering East Hall / Snead Hall