Chemical engineering focuses on the chemical and physical transformation of materials.
Teaching and basic laboratories are located in the Engineering Terrace and in the Heat Transfer Research Facility located in the Prentis building. A principal activity of the large scale Heat Transfer Research Facility is focused on thermohydraulics and safety research. Materials science provides the basis for developing, improving and understanding materials and processes for electronic, structural and other applications. Research activities include work on polycrystalline silicon for flat panel displays, high temperature superconductors for power transmission and sensors, semiconductors for laser and solar cell applications, metallization structures for microelectronic packaging, and the analysis and design of high temperature reactors. Students are often engaged in joint projects with industrial and government laboratories.