Established in 1910, the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering is home to the world's first petroleum engineering program. Today, the department has more than 40 faculty, over 20 research laboratories and learning centers, and programs at the undergraduate and graduate level spanning chemical engineering, petroleum engineering, and energy transition.

Chemical engineers work at the intersection of chemistry, physics, and process design - developing the systems that transform raw materials into products across the pharmaceutical, energy, food, polymer, electronics, and materials industries. With growing demand in areas like sustainable energy, carbon management, and advanced materials, the field continues to expand into new territory.