Dr. Kuyen Li
               Department Chair & Professor, Chemical Engineering

Dear Lamar Chemical Engineering Students :

It has been a busy but great year since I became the department chair. There are several exciting things about the Chemical Engineering Department that I would like to share with you all.

First of all, both the number and the quality of the incoming freshmen are up. The new Cardinal Village student dormitory is a big step towards a better Lamar campus.

We are pleased that Mike and Pat Aldredge, both Lamar alumni, have set up an Information Technology Chair in the Industrial and ChE Departments. In the ChE Department, we've made several significant improvements in our undergraduate courses. We've dropped Engineering Graphics and added a new sophomore course: CAMS (Computer Aided Modeling and Simulation). CAMS, a 3-hour computer lab worth one credit hour, covers ChE software packages such as POLYMATH, Mathcad, ASPEN, HYSYS, and PRO/II. We've combined Computer Applications with Advanced Analysis and created a new course, Process Control II. While Process Control II covers industrial applications, Process Control I covers the fundamental theories. Making these changes is not easy, but we believe it is necessary to prepare our students for the changing industry.

Our NSF-CCLI (Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement) Grant has allowed us to introduce computer simulation packages into every ChE course. This implementation has been accomplished without sacrificing the learning of fundamental principles. We've discussed our experiences with professors from other institutions in national and international engineering education conferences.

Using matching funds from the NSF-CCLI Program, we have set up a PBL (Problem-Based Learning) computer lab that contains a computer network and electronic white boards. With this new facility, we're ready to implement an open-ended problem solving pedagogy. I encourage you to visit the NSF-CCLI Lab when you come back to visit the department.

ExxonMobil has contributed a Process Simulation Course development grant: $25,000/year for three years. With this grant we've updated our computer lab simulation software: ASPEN, ASPEN Dynamics, HYSYS, PRO/II, and DMC. Our students are taking advantage of learning these cutting-edge packages today for their future.

The ChE Advisory Council has been established to advise us on Recruiting, Marketing, Scholarship, and Curriculum. The council members are all distinguished Lamar ChE Alumni. The council meets biannually. If you would like to serve on the council, please contact me.

The scholarship endowment fund raised in remembrance of Mr. Robert Stauffer (ChE Technician 1979-98) was so successful that we exceeded the goal of $20,000 within six months. This year, the Scholarship subcommittee of the Advisory Council has decided to raise another scholarship endowment in honor of Dr. Jack R. Hopper. He joined us in 1969, became the department chair in 1974, and was named Dean of Engineering in 1999.

We are so excited to see Dr. T.C. Ho been named Lamar's 2001 University Professor and have Dr. Helen H. Lou join our faculty this Fall. Dr. Lou received her Ph.D. from Wayne State University in 2001.

Our research activities have been quite successful. Currently, the department has 16 active research grants worth a total amount of $1.6 million.

The employment of May/August 2001 undergraduates is excellent: all 16 graduates are employed and working at professional jobs.

Thank you for visiting our web site

Kuyen Li
Department Chair & Professor

   

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