Chemical Engineering

The aim of the class is for students to develop a mind-set for problem solving through experiential and practical based learning in order to tackle the challenges they may face as chemical engineers in industry.

This course provides basic knowledge in understanding, judging, and predicting the effects of chemicals on health and environment. The chemical basis for how health-damaging and environmentally hazardous compounds are absorbed and metabolized by organisms and the mechanisms behind their effects are discussed thoroughly. Emphasis is put on relationships between structure, chemical properties, and biological effects. The external environment section of the course discusses aspects of eight environmental threats: gases affecting the climate, ozone depletion, soil and water acidification, photochemical oxidants/tropospheric ozone, over-fertilization of soil and water, environmental influence of metals, toxic effects of organic compounds on the environment, disrupted environmental/ecological cycles, and hazardous by-products.

This course studies the basic chemical engineering techniques in nuclear processing including ion exchange, liquid-liquid extraction, radiation, and reactor coolant chemistry. Course applications include fuel production, fuel processing, and waste management. This course presents information on chemical and chemical engineering aspects of nuclear power, including fuel manufacture, radiation chemistry, reactor coolant chemistry, fuel reprocessing, and waste disposal.

The course focuses on heterogeneous and multi-phase reactors. Through understanding the underlying physics of the different reactor types, the student is equipped to carry out reactor design tasks for conventional and novel reactors in a systematic way. Particular focus is on teaching a generally applicable problem solution approach, which is of relevance to professional practice.

The extensive independent study field research paper produced by the student is both the centerpiece of the intern's professional engagement and the culmination of the academic achievements of the semester. During the preparatory session, IFE teaches the methodological guidelines and principles to which students are expected to adhere in the development of their written research. Students work individually with a research advisor from their field. The first task is to identify a topic, following guidelines established by IFE for research topic choice. The subject must be tied in a useful and complementary way to the student-intern's responsibilities, as well as to the core concerns of the host organization. The research question should be designed to draw as much as possible on resources available to the intern via the internship (data, documents, interviews, observations, seminars and the like). Students begin to focus on this project after the first 2-3 weeks on the internship. Each internship agreement signed with an organization makes explicit mention of this program requirement, and this is the culminating element of their semester. Once the topic is identified, students meet individually, as regularly as they wish, with their IFE research advisor to generate a research question from the topic, develop an outline, identify sources and research methods, and discuss drafts submitted by the student. The research advisor also helps students prepare for the oral defense of their work which takes place a month before the end of the program and the due date of the paper. The purpose of this exercise is to help students evaluate their progress and diagnose the weak points in their outline and arguments. Rather than an extraneous burden added to the intern's other duties, the field research project grows out of the internship through a useful and rewarding synergy of internship and research. The Field Study and Internship model results in well-trained student-interns fully engaged in mission-driven internships in their field, while exploring a critical problem guided by an experienced research advisor.