Curriculum Development Workshops on the Integration of Chemical & Biological Engineering

The importance of biology as an enabling science for engineering has taken on new importance driven, in part, by recent advances in molecular and cellular biology. Various approaches to achieve a fusion of engineering and biology have been described (e.g. new Bio-X departments, tracks within existing departments, or combinations of modules within a course). The pioneering approach taken by Tufts University is to use the time-tested paradigm of chemical engineering to implement a seamless integration of chemical and biological engineering under one unifying banner.

Earlier this year, three workshops aimed at undergraduate curriculum development for integrated chemical and biological engineering programs were organized and held at Tufts. These topical workshops (each on a core chemical engineering subject) were sponsored by a National Science Foundation grant* for department-level reform of undergraduate engineering education that the Department was awarded in 2003.

The objective of the workshops was to determine what material must be added to make the biological engineering component a useful part of the curriculum as well as to examine the material traditionally presented to determine what can be reduced or removed without losing the fundamental approach to problem solving based on traditional chemical engineering concepts. Academic leaders of chemical and biological engineering shared their views with the workshop attendees, who represented both private and state schools, small and large. Useful discussions from the breakout sessions provided a lot of thoughtful material for core curriculum development to prepare the new generation of chemical and biological engineers for the evolving chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries, as well as other areas of employment, such as fuels, environmental engineering, and the energy sector.

*NSF Grant #0343135 for Department Level Reform of Undergraduate Engineering Education

View information about the Workshop Proceedings; the Tufts Approach; and Invited Speaker Presentations.