New department name reflects KU School of Engineering’s growing strength in energy

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Engineering is strengthening its focus on the future of energy with a new name for one of its academic departments.

The Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering has been renamed the Department of Chemical & Energy Engineering. The department’s two degree programs — chemical engineering and petroleum engineering — will remain unchanged.

The new name reflects the department’s growing role in energy research and education and its connection to one of the KU School of Engineering’s broader strategic priorities. Energy is a school-level focus that brings together faculty and students from across multiple engineering disciplines, including chemical, petroleum, electrical, mechanical and civil & environmental engineering.

“Chemical & Energy Engineering better reflects the breadth of this department’s research and expertise and the opportunities we see for continued growth in energy,” said KU Engineering Dean Mary Rezac. “Energy is an important priority for the entire School of Engineering, and the Department of Chemical & Energy Engineering is an important contributor to that effort. This name recognizes the department’s particular strengths while positioning it within the larger energy enterprise at KU.”

The change does not diminish the department’s commitment to petroleum engineering. Rather, it recognizes how the field is evolving as engineers address an increasingly diverse set of energy needs and technologies.

Susan Williams, professor and chair of chemical & energy engineering, said the new name reflects the expanding role of both chemical and petroleum engineers in the energy landscape.

“Energy has become a core part of our department’s identity,” Williams said. “Petroleum engineering remains an important part of who we are, but the profession is evolving beyond its traditional applications in oil and gas to include the sustainable development and management of subsurface energy resources. At the same time, our chemical engineering faculty are contributing to a wide range of energy research.”

Approximately 90% of the department’s chemical engineering faculty conduct research in energy-related fields, while demand for chemical engineers continues to grow across the energy sector.

The newly named department’s growing energy focus is part of a larger School of Engineering effort. Faculty across the school are pursuing research and educational activities related to energy production and conversion, energy storage and reliability, energy efficiency, and the security and resilience of energy systems. These efforts draw on expertise across departments and increasingly involve collaborations that extend beyond the School of Engineering.

“Energy is a schoolwide priority, and our approach is intentionally broader than any single department,” said Kevin Leonard, associate dean for research. “We have significant expertise across the school, and the Department of Chemical & Energy Engineering brings important capabilities in chemical processes, subsurface resources and energy technologies to that larger effort. The department’s new name helps make those strengths more visible while reinforcing the collaborative nature of our work in energy.”

The school’s energy efforts are also part of a broader university commitment to connecting engineering, the earth sciences and environmental disciplines. In the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the departments of Geography & Atmospheric Science and Geology, along with the Environmental Studies Program, are coming together as the Department of Earth, Energy & Environment.

Rezac said these developments create opportunities to build connections across KU while preserving the distinct missions and expertise of individual academic units.

“Energy and the environment are inherently interdisciplinary challenges,” Rezac said. “KU has the opportunity to bring together complementary expertise across the university. The Department of Chemical & Energy Engineering will play an important role in that effort, just as many other departments and research units will contribute their expertise. Together, we can create stronger collaborations in energy and environmental research, education and outreach and better position KU to address challenges facing Kansas and the world.”

The changes also create opportunities for stronger partnerships with the Kansas Geological Survey, Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research and other departments and research centers across the Lawrence campus.

KU’s chemical engineering program dates to 1900, when the university awarded its first bachelor’s degree in the field. The chemical engineering department was formally established in 1935, followed by the formation of the petroleum engineering department in 1937. The two departments merged in 1961.