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With the spring semester behind us, it’s with optimism and hope that we look forward to a summer of reconnection and a fall semester that will look increasingly “normal” compared to this previous year.

It is in that spirit that I would like to thank all of the students, faculty and staff of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering for their willingness and ability to adapt to this unprecedented year.

As I reflect on this very unique spring semester at the end of a very difficult time, I realize that our department has not slowed down despite the challenges it has faced. We saw an increase in our department’s overall U.S. News and World Report ranking among graduate chemical engineering schools, with a jump from No. 16 to No. 14. Professor Chris Bowman earned one of the profession’s highest honors with his election to the National Academy of Engineering. Our faculty ranks continued to expand with the hiring of Dr. Kōnane Bay, who is currently a Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Princeton University and an expert in engineered living materials. Kōnane will join us in 2022. The news stories in the spring newsletter also demonstrate the impactful research our faculty continue to pursue.

Our graduate students, likewise, continued to set the standard for excellence here at ��ƷSM����ӰƬ, with numerous students receiving the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Award or the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, as well as contributions to critical research in the fight against COVID-19 and other diseases.

Among our undergraduate students, we can boast a national track and field champion in graduating senior Sage Hurta, who won the Women’s Mile at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Our graduating class also features five college-level award winners who were recognized for their academic and social justice accomplishments.

With summer ahead of us, I would encourage you to read all the inspiring news our department has accumulated this past spring. The fall semester is right around the corner.�� It presents an opportunity for a return to normalcy—as well as new innovation and greater achievements of our chemical and biological engineering Buffs.

Professor Will Medlin
Chair