About Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

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.

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.