State and University leadership toured the University of Delaware’s College of Engineering Monday.
U.S. News and the World Report ranked the University of Delaware’s undergraduate Chemical Engineering Program second in the nation in the 2022-2023 rankings, with the graduate program rated 8th for the fourth year in a row.
Students and faculty presented some of the research being conducted at the university, a majority of which focused on sustainability.
Recently, UD was recognized for its leadership in the field of hydrogen technology, a topic they’re exploring in partnership with Chemours.
Other topics of research being explored include the exploration of strategies to enhance biomass and plastics waste degradation, and the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies.
Dean of the College of Engineering, Levi Thompson, says that innovative research and academic excellence are what lead to partnerships with major companies.
“Now we become a draw. So that we don’t have to push, necessarily, our students out, they’re being pulled out by the ecosystem around us,” said Thompson.
And UD’s President Dennis Assanis says the innovative technologies being explored at UD will become critical industries, and Delaware stands to continue to be a hub for their growth.
“We are educating the future workforce for the state of Delaware. At the same time, we are also creating all those inventions, innovations, that will lead to start-ups to new companies. Sometimes they’re started by our faculty and our post-docs, and our students who are graduating,” explained Assanis.
He adds that it creates new jobs and products in the state, boosting the local economy.
96% of College of Engineering graduates are currently employed or pursuing further education.
As for current students, 70% have internships with 18 different companies, and 67% are pursuing research.
