About Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

AIChE with their first place trophy

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering offers the only chemical engineering graduate degree program in the state of Nebraska.

Historical Highlights

Chemical engineering course offerings were an outgrowth of the Chemistry Department with the first three bachelor's degrees in chemical engineering granted in 1920. Continually accredited since 1954, Chemical Engineering was established as a separate department in 1958. Building on the established undergraduate program, a master's program was developed in 1954 and a doctoral program developed in 1963. In 2005, the Chemical Engineering Department changed its name to the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering to promote our identity as an emerging biomolecular program.

For over 90 years, hundreds of aspiring chemical engineers have come to the University of Nebraska to receive a sound educational experience on which to build their careers. The Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering has a long tradition of providing an outstanding education to these students and is proud to boast many exceptional graduates who have made major contributions to the chemical engineering field.

Donald Othmer Painting Of these graduates, one of the first to make significant contributions to chemical engineering was Omaha native Dr. Donald Othmer. A 1924 B.S. Chemical Engineering graduate, Othmer held more than 150 U.S. and foreign patents and authored or co-authored more than 350 scientific papers. He was the co-founder and co-editor of the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology.


Notable Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Alumni

  • Lowell Anderson, BS '46, Director, Amoco Chemical Company
  • John Dunn, BS '70, Manager of Human Resources, Exxon Research & Engineering
  • Lew Lehr, BS '44, Chairman of the Board of 3M Corporation
  • Dr. Lester Krogh, BS '45, Senior Vice President of Research and Development, 3M Corporation
  • Lavele Frantz, BS '64, Vice President, World Wide Exploration, Phillips Petroleum Co.
  • Dr. James Hendrix, BS '66, MS '68, PhD '69, Dean, College of Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Greg Husen, BS '70, MS '72, Manager Chemical Research, Conoco, Inc.
  • Dr. Kenneth Kennard, BS '54, Director of Research, Eastman Kodak
  • Dr. Lloyd Lee, MS '66, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Oklahoma
  • Wayne Lorenz, BS '59, Managing Director, Monsanto
  • Richard McNeel, BS '69, Vice President, Amoco Chemical Company
  • Karen Lundquist Malkewitz, BS '77, MS '78, Vice President Manufacturing, Louisiana Pacific Company
  • Dr. Ron Mitsch, BS '60, Executive Vice President, 3M Corporation
  • Dr. Dudley Saville, BS '54, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Princeton University
  • Dr. John Scamehorn, BS '73, MS '74, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Oklahoma
  • Dr. Marvin Yost, BS '65, MS '67, PhD '68, Research Manager, Conoco, Inc.