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Addressing Global Challenges

Chemical engineering is addressing pressing challenges to advance society such as biomedicine, energy, security, and sustainability. Join an R1 research institution and work alongside accomplished faculty in the heart of Boston - a hub for biotech, medical institutions, high tech, and academia.

Innovative Education and Research
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Experiential Learning

Offering rigorous yet flexible academics and top-ranked experience-powered learning to develop the next-generation of chemical engineering leaders.

Academic Offerings
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Interdisciplinary Research

Chemical engineering encompasses a broad range of cutting-edge research allowing them to work at the intersection of a variety of different fields, including biology, chemistry, energy, physics, materials science, and other engineering disciplines.

Hub of Innovation
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Vibrant Community

From being in the heart of the city of Boston with industry and the world's top hospitals, to a range of active student organizations and a network of faculty, alumni, and industry professionals, the Department of Chemical Engineering offers a welcoming and exciting community.

Engaged Student Groups

Spotlight Stories

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Madeline Szoo
BS chemical engineering and biochemistry, 2025

Madeline Szoo, E’25, chemical engineering and biochemistry, earned numerous accolades, including the Harold D. Hodgkinson Achievement Award for 2025,...

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Selina Banerjee
PhD Chemical Engineering, 2026

Selina Banerjee, PhD'26, chemical engineering, was awarded an American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship for her project "Investigating the Influence...

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PECASE Award

ChE/BioE Associate Professor Eno Ebong was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the federal government to outstanding early career scientists.

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ONR Young Investigator Award

ChE Assistant Professor Benjamin Woolston received a Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research for “Expanding the Product Range of Anaerobic Methanol Fermentation.”

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NSF CAREER Award

ChE Assistant Professor Qing Zhao received a $618,100 NSF CAREER Award for “Computational Characterization of Reaction Mechanisms and Catalytic Microenvironments in Redox-Mediated Ammonia Electrosynthesis.”

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Engineering in Action

Chemical Engineering Research Co-op in Switzerland

Chemical Engineering student Hannah Boyce shares her unique experience conducting research abroad at ETH Zurich, one of Europe’s leading biotech institutions.

PhD Research for Impact

With a dream of curing breast cancer, Chinedu Okorafor, PhD in chemical engineering, took full advantage of her Northeastern University curriculum and surrounding biotech centers in Boston. Northeastern’s interdisciplinary approach—sparking collaborations among the sciences—helped her chart her own course toward a degree with many possible rewarding applications.

Reaching Career Goals

For Haroon Bukhari, MS in chemical engineering, the Northeastern experience culminated in a co-op at Rogers Corporation, an innovator in engineered materials. Focusing on applications including electric vehicles, he’s already building a career toward making green technologies safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective.

World-Renowned Cooperative Education

Bradley Priem, BS in chemical engineering, had two co-ops that gave him the ability to delve into a particular industry. At Synlogic he was a bioanalytical chemist and bacterial engineer creating e-coli strains, and at bluebird bio he was an upstream process development engineer for gene production. He now knows he wants to go into the biotech industry and is interested in graduate school too.

Recent News

PhD Spotlight: Justin Hayes, PhD’25, Chemical Engineering

Justin Hayes, PhD’25, chemical engineering, focuses on understanding how gut microbial metabolism impacts human health. He is an inventor on the pending patent and founder and CEO of Concordance Therapeutics Inc. He was awarded the Northeastern University chapter of the National Academy of Inventors Student Innovation Impact Award.

Rebecca Carrier

The Marvelous Powers of Mucus

ChE Distinguished Professor Rebecca Carrier was featured in The Week’s article “The Marvelous Powers of Mucus” for explaining how mucus lines various bodily surfaces and adapts its properties for different […]

NSF CAREER Award To Advance Sustainable Biochemical Production

ChE Assistant Professor Benjamin Woolston received a $575,765 NSF CAREER award for “Metabolic ‘Doping’ To Enhance Production of Biochemicals From Sustainable C1 Feedstocks.” The research aims to understand the regulation of carbon metabolism and use the insight to make acetogens more effective for renewable production of fuels and chemicals.

How To Build Strong Magnets Without Rare-Earth Metals

Laura Lewis, university distinguished and Cabot professor of ChE and MIE, was featured in the Economist article “How To Build Strong Magnets Without Rare-Earth Metals.”