By John Wong
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) held a forum on graduate school in chemical engineering on Feb. 24, 1995 in the Center for Engineering and Physical Science Research auditorium. Representatives from the department of Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Mining Engineering gave a talk about the graduate school admissions process, and life in graduate school.
Professor P. Somasundaran, department chairman, began by introducing the field itself. He addressed the current problems that faculty and researchers in the field have to solve. He started his presentation by pointing to the sticker on his jacket. Why is it so hard to remove such a adhesive material? The problem that must be solved is how a material can be structured so that it adheres, as well as easy to remove. Such problems can be solved by the study of absorption and aggregation. Another area of Prof. Somasundaran's interest is the study of biosurfaces. Microbes have tiny hairs that causes bacterial attachment to certain materials. One application of such a study is the removal of bacteria on one's teeth. Tiny microbes (commonly known as plaque) have a certain attachment to one's teeth. Another hot topic of research is in the field of geo-environmental engineering. Domestic environmental problems such as waste treatment and management, ground water contamination, and solution mining are problems that are crucial to our society today. A graduate student who recently received his Ph.D. proceeded to talk about surface chemistry. Although we do not realize it, surface chemistry touches every facet of our lives, he said. For example, he explained how detergents use surface techniques to remove dirt and other unwanted materials. Surface and colloidal chemistry is widely applied to produce consumer products such as soaps and moisturizers. Another field closely related to surface chemistry is polymer science. The shapes of polymers, whether they are stretched and flat, coiled, stretched, and dangling are important aspects of a plastic. Polymers and surfactants are also used together for drug delivery processes.
Roberto Vidal, a Ph.D. candidate of Chemical Engineering working under Prof. West, talked about his topic of research, electrochemistry, and his impression of life as a graduate student. Transport phenomena is the study of the fluctuating concentration of a material. Diffusion usually occurs from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. This has an influence on electrochemistry, particularly the microelectronic industry. An application of electrochemistry is controlling fluid flow in a pipe. The movement of fluids in a pipe causes peaks and valleys in the fluid. A voltage can be applied to remove the peaks in the fluid in order to make the fluid flow smooth.
With regard to success in graduate school, Mr. Vidal said that one must be prepared for the "quicker pace" of graduate school. Graduate students are expected to take courses, and serve as teaching and/or research assistants concurrently. He stressed the importance of interdepartmental interaction, because many problems can be solved more easily with the help of members of other departments.
Professor Leonard, the last speaker, discussed the advantages and the disadvantages of graduate school. For people like himself, who desire a further study of chemical engineering as an academic discipline, he would recommend graduate school. Also, graduate school is beneficial for people who want to study subjects different from their undergraduate majors. Also, for engineers who want to pursue research and development, a higher degree is essential. For people who want to pursue a higher degree for economic reasons or to improve their employability, graduate school must be considered more closely. Because there is a scarcity of government funding for graduate students, the expense for further education would be high. Also, the student will lose a few years' income.
With regard to choice of school, Prof. Leonard suggested that an undergraduate should receive a graduate degree not from his alma mater, but from a different institution. This would ensure that a student will get a different perspective, as well as diversifying himself. The student should then consider his academic goal, whether he should pursue a master's or a Ph.D. For example, Princeton University emphasizes its Ph.D. program, while MIT stresses its master's program. Also, schools are known for their distinctive topics of research, and this must be taken into account. Geographical location should also be a consideration.
A graduate student must take advanced courses, take comprehensive examinations, and do research, which often means writing theses, or journal articles. Publication in a journal is so crucial for advancement in a field that many student theses are based on a combination of such articles. A prospective student must closely access his situation to ensure happiness and success in graduate school.