Department of
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Undergraduate Handbook
Academic Year 2023-2024
Revised: September 2023
Entrepreneurship
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Bioengineering &
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The
Chemical and
Biological
Engineering
Major
Engineering
Physics
Certificate
Finance
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Certificate
Environmental
Studies Certificate
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Applied Math
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1
Table of Contents
WHAT IS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING? .................................... 2
THE EDUCATION OF A CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEER ........................ 3
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS .............................................................................. 19
INDEPENDENT WORK ................................................................................... 20
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................... 24
ACADEMIC HONORS ..................................................................................... 24
HONOR SOCIETIES, AWARDS, AND PRIZES .................................................... 25
ADVISING ..................................................................................................... 28
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ..................................................................... 29
POST GRADUATION PLANS ........................................................................... 30
THE FACULTY ................................................................................................ 31
LABORATORY SAFETY INFORMATION ........................................................... 34
THE REINER G. STOLL UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER FELLOWSHIP IN CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING ............................................................................................... 35
MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS .......................................................................... 36
2
WHAT IS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING?
Chemical engineering is pollution control, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, adhesives, biopolymers,
artificial kidneys, oil refineries, solar panels, and ceramics. The American Institute for Chemical Engineers
(AIChE) defines a chemical engineer as someone who uses science and mathematics, especially chemistry,
biochemistry, applied mathematics and engineering principles, to take laboratory or conceptual ideas and
turn them into value added products in a cost effective and safe (including environmental) manner.
Chemical engineering is an applied science. While a chemist might discover a new compound in the lab,
this compound would be nothing more than a laboratory curiosity unless a chemical engineer used his or
her knowledge to quantify, scale up, test and produce the compound as a final product. In 2010 the
department changed its name to Chemical and Biological Engineering to reflect research interests of the
faculty and the growing influence of the life sciences in chemical engineering.
So where do Princeton graduates go with their chemical and biological engineering degrees?
Post Graduate plans for the last five graduating classes
Class of 2019 – Class of 2023
Graduate School in Engineering
25%
Other Endeavors
16%
Consulting
14%
Business School, Healthcare Industry,
Arts & Entertainment, Sports Industry
9%
Pharmaceutical Industry
9%
Chemical Industry
8%
Finance Industry
8%
Food and Personal Products
4%
Medical School
4%
Electronic Industry, Information Technology
3%
3
THE EDUCATION OF A CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEER
To prepare for the kinds of diverse career options mentioned above, one needs a solid foundation in
engineering and chemistry, as well as the freedom to take specialized courses in areas of interest. This is
provided in the chemical and biological engineering curriculum by having a core of common technical
courses and then program electives tailored to the career objectives for each individual student. The
program electives explore areas including biotechnology/life sciences, environmental sciences, materials
and product engineering, entrepreneurship and management, systems engineering and information
technology and engineering science. The senior thesis provides students with the vital experience of
integrating their training on an independent research project.
General Notes and Comments on the Four-Year Curriculum
The University requires engineers to successfully complete 36 courses over four years for graduation.
(Many students take more than the required 36.) Most students choose to take four 4-course semesters
and four 5-course semesters. These 36 courses include:
University, SEAS & Departmental Requirements
School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) Requirements:
Mathematics 4 Courses
Physics
2 Courses
General Chemistry 1 Course
Computer Proficiency
1 Course
Writing Requirement: 1 Course
Humanities & Social Sciences Electives:
7 Courses
(EM req’d. Must satisfy 3 other areas)
Chemical and Biological Engineering Core: 9 Courses (including senior thesis)
Advanced Science & Math Requirements:
Differential Equations 1 Course
Chemistry or Biology (300 level or above)
1 Course
Organic Chemistry 1 Course
Molecular Biology
1 Course
Program Electives*:
Area of Concentration
3 Courses
Breadth 2 Courses
Free Electives**:
2 Courses
Total 36
*At least two of the Program Elective courses must be engineering topic (ET) courses as designated on the
approved list in the Area of Concentrations. The advanced CBE course can also be satisfied within the
Program Electives.
4
**The number of free electives will vary depending on course selection where students can double count
courses, as well as AP credit received.
Of these 36 courses no more than 4 may be taken on a Pass/D/Fail basis unless a course is given only on
this basis; in this case the maximum of 4 is increased by one for each such course. Any elective course
above the required 36 may be taken Pass/D/Fail. For additional details about the University Pass/D/Fail
policy, refer to the Undergraduate Announcement.
Advanced Placement does not reduce the course load required for graduation. Only if a student qualifies
for and chooses Advanced Standing is the course load reduced. Students eligible for advanced standing
will be contacted by Dean Bogucki in the first year.
School of Engineering and Applied Science Requirements
All engineering students take a common core of courses in mathematics, chemistry, and physics.
Advanced placement can satisfy some requirements and allow for more technical or humanities/social
science electives.
Mathematics Requirements
Math 103 and 104 — Calculus
Math 201 (or 203 or 218) and 202 (or 204 or 217) — Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra
Physics Requirements
Physics 103 (or 105) and 104 (or 106) — General Physics
Computer Proficiency Requirement
Computer Science 126, 217, or 226
Chemistry Requirements
Chemistry 201 or 207 — General Chemistry I
Writing Requirement
The ability to write English clearly and precisely is a University requirement that must be satisfied by
completing, during the first year, a one-semester course that fulfills the writing requirement.
Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Electives
The liberal arts component of the students’ education is implemented through the Humanities and Social
Sciences requirements established by the University. Humanities and Social Science courses taken by CBE
students must include at least one course in ethical thought and moral values (EM), which also satisfies the
ABET societal impact requirement, and one course in three of the following five areas: epistemology and
cognition (EC), foreign language (FL), historical analysis (HA), literature and the arts (LA), and social analysis
(SA). The remaining three required Humanities and Social Sciences courses, for a total of seven, may be
taken in any field in the social sciences and humanities.
5
Advanced Requirements
Chemical and biological engineers are distinguished from other engineers by their knowledge of chemistry
and life sciences. All CBE majors must complete a full year of General Chemistry, at least one semester of
Organic Chemistry, and one semester of Molecular Biology.
CHM 202 – General Chemistry II
CHM 301 — Organic Chemistry I
MOL 214 – Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
Please note that CHM 337 can satisfy the CBE organic chemistry requirement; however, it is important to
keep in mind that CHM 337 does not provide appropriate preparation for CHM 302 or CHM 304; CHM 301
and CHM 337 cannot both be taken for credit; and students interested in being pre-med needs to consult
with the Health Professions Advising office concerning enrollment in CHM 337.
Two additional (separate) approved advanced courses are required, one with advanced chemistry or
biology content and one with advanced CBE content.
Advanced Chemistry or Advanced Biology Content
Students must take one advanced chemistry or biology course at the 300-level or above (excluding
independent work courses, and student elected PDF courses). The list below provides some examples of
approved courses:
CBE 411/MOL 411 Antibiotics: From Cradle to Grave
CBE 415/CHM 415/MSE 425 Polymers
CBE 421/CHM 421/ENE 421 Green and Catalytic Chemistry
CBE 438/MOL 438 Biomolecular Engineering
CBE 440/GHP 450/MOL 440 The Physical Basis of Human Disease
CEE 311/ CHM 311 Global Air Pollution
CHM 302 or 304 Organic Chemistry II
CHM 305/PHY 305/ECE 342 Quantum Mechanics/ Quantum Theory/ Quantum Engineering
CHM 306 Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics and Kinetics
CHM 403 Advanced Biochemistry
CHM 406 Advanced Physical Chemistry
CHM 407 Inorganic Chemistry I
CHM 408 Inorganic Chemistry II
CHM 470/GEO 470 Environmental Chemistry of Soils
EEB 309 Evolutionary Biology
EEB 320/MOL 330 Molecular Evolutionary Genetics
EEB 325 Mathematical Modeling in Biology & Medicine
EEB 327/MOL 327/GHP 327 Immune Systems: From Molecules to Populations
EEB 328/ GHP 328 Ecology and Epidemiology of Parasites and Infectious Diseases
GEO 353/ENV 333/CEE 353 Oil to Ozone: Chemistry of the Environment
GEO 360 Geochemistry of the Human Environment
GEO 363/CHM 331/ENV 331 Introduction to Environmental Geochemistry
GEO 417 Environmental Microbiology
GEO 418 Environmental Aqueous Geochemistry
MOL 310/NEU 301 Cellular Neurobiology
6
MOL 340 Molecular and Cellular Immunology
MOL 342 Genetics
MOL 345/CHM 345 Biochemistry
MOL 348 Cell and Developmental Biology
MOL 380 Modern Microbiology
MOL 415 Modern Biophysics and Systems Biology
MOL 425/SPI 355/GHP 425 Infection: Biology, Burden, Policy
MOL 431 Regulatory Mechanisms in Development
MOL 433/CBE 434/GHP 433 Biotechnology
MOL 455/QCB 455/COS 455 Introduction to Genomics and Computational Molecular Biology
MOL 459/GHP 459 Viruses: Strategy and Tactics
MOL 485/QCB 485 Mathematical Models in Biology
MOL 490/QCB 490 Molecular Mechanisms of Longevity
Advanced Math Requirement
Many processes in chemical and biological engineering are described by differential equations. All students
in Chemical and Biological Engineering must complete a course in differential equations (MAE 305 or MAT
427 or APC 350) by the end of the fall term of the junior year.
Advanced Chemical and Biological Engineering Content
Students must take one advanced CBE course from any 300/400/500-level CBE courses for a grade.
Independent work courses, CBE 351, CBE 352, CBE 451, and CBE 452, cannot be used to fulfill this
requirement.
Chemical and Biological Engineering Core Courses
To qualify for a Chemical and Biological Engineering degree, students must take a core of 9 departmental
courses. This is required by ABET and Princeton University. The following nine courses are required:
CBE 245 Introduction to Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Principles
CBE 246 Thermodynamics
CBE 250 Separations in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
CBE 341 Mass, Momentum and Energy Transport
CBE 346 Chemical and Biological Engineering Laboratory
CBE 441 Chemical Reaction Engineering
CBE 442 Design, Synthesis, and Optimization of Chemical Processes
CBE 454 Senior Thesis (counts as two)
Students may petition to substitute a 1-semester independent work project (CBE 451 or CBE 452) plus an
approved CBE elective for the 2-semester senior thesis. To be eligible for departmental honors one must
complete a 2-semester senior thesis.
Chemical and Biological Engineering Program Electives
Program Electives are used to satisfy requirements for areas of concentration and breadth. These are
discussed in detail in the following pages.
7
Integrated Science Curriculum
The integrated science program is intended for students with a strong interest in quantitative biology who
are considering concentrating in the sciences or engineering. It provides an alternative path into the
Departments of Chemistry, Computer Science, Molecular Biology, and Physics. ISC/CHM/COS/MOL/PHY
231, 232, 233, 234 can be taken in the first year; ISC 231 and ISC 232 in the fall term and ISC 233 and ISC
234 in the spring term. These courses can be substituted for CHM 201-202, PHY 103-104 or 105-106, MOL
214, and COS 126 in the first year. ISC/CHM/COS/MOL/PHY 235, 236 can be taken in the sophomore year.
Students who take ISC 231-234 cannot also take MOL 214 for credit. These students can satisfy the CBE
“Molecular Biology” requirement by taking another course offered by, or cross listed with, Molecular
Biology at the 300-level and above (please note that any substitute for MOL 214 cannot be used to satisfy
any other departmental requirement). For more information, consult the Undergraduate Announcement
or www.princeton.edu/integratedscience.
ABET Accreditation
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering offers an undergraduate program of study in
Chemical Engineering accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET,
https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Chemical, Biochemical,
Biomolecular and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.
ABET requires CBE students to complete a minimum of 12 engineering topic courses. This is satisfied by
completing the nine CBE core courses (including the double credit thesis), SEAS COS requirement, and at
least two program electives identified as ET on the approved list of courses in the Areas of Concentration.
Program Electives
The program electives provide students with an introduction to the breadth of advanced areas of chemical
and biological engineering and to have the students pursue one area in greater depth. Six areas have been
identified as areas of concentration and are listed in the tables that follow along with courses that satisfy
the requirements. New courses may be added to the lists and students can petition to have a course count
in one of these six areas. Depth in an area of concentration is accomplished by taking three courses from a
prescribed list in the same area of concentration. Students are required to take courses in two different
areas outside their concentration to provide breadth. Except under exceptional circumstances, technical
electives cannot be taken anywhere but at Princeton University. Students must take a minimum of 5
separate courses as Program electives, all of which must be taken for a grade.
A number of courses in three of the areas of concentration can also satisfy the advanced chemistry or
advanced biology requirement, or the advanced CBE course requirement. By judicious choice of program
electives students can free up two electives within the 36-course requirement.
Every course on the list that has been designated ET has been assessed to satisfy the engineering topic
content requirement. ET courses can be added to the list if approved by the Undergraduate Committee
based on the course syllabus and an explanation of the engineering topic content in that course by the
instructor. Courses with ET designations will be re-evaluated approximately every five years to ensure that
their contents continue to include engineering topics.
1
Program electives may be used to partially or completely fulfill course requirements for the University
certificate programs. Certificate programs readily accessible to Chemical and Biological Engineers include
Engineering Biology, Engineering Physics, Environmental Studies, Materials Science and Engineering,
Applied and Computational Mathematics, Sustainable Energy, Applications of Computing, Finance and
Engineering Management Systems. For further information on certificate programs the student should
consult the appropriate certificate program handbooks or websites.
Areas of Concentration for Chemical and Biological Engineering Majors
◦ Bioengineering and Biotechnology
◦ Entrepreneurship and Management
◦ Energy and Environmental Technology
◦ Materials and Product Engineering
◦ Optimization, Dynamics and Information Technology
◦ Science and Engineering for New Technologies
Approved Courses in Areas of Concentration
Course Course Description Additional
Requirements
Engineering
Topic Content
Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Track 1
CBE 262/ EGR
263
Fundamentals of Bioengineering
ET
CBE 411/
MOL 411
Antibiotics: From Cradle to Grave MAT 104 and MOL 214
ET
CBE 419
Enzymes
MOL 214
ET
CBE 433/ MSE
424
Introduction to the Mechanics and
Dynamics of Soft Living Matter
ET
CBE 438/
MOL 438
Biomolecular Engineering
ET
CBE 439
Quantitative Physiology
ET
CBE 440
The Physical Basis of Human Disease
ET
CBE 447
Metabolic Engineering
MOL 214
ET
CHM 440/
GHP 440
Drug Discovery in the Genomics Era
2 terms of organic
chemistry
ECE 452
Biomedical Imaging
EEB 309
Evolutionary Biology
EEB 211 and MOL 214
EEB 320/ MOL
330
Molecular Evolutionary Genetics
MOL 214 or any upper
level MOL course
EEB 325
Mathematical Modeling in Biology &
Medicine
Enrollment by application
EEB 327/ MOL
327
Immune Systems: From Molecules to
Populations
EEB 211 and MOL 214
2
ENE 318/ CBE
318
Fundamentals of Biofuels
ET
GEO 417
Environmental Microbiology
GEO 428
Biological Oceanography
College level Bio, CHM,
PHY
ISC 326/ EEB
326/ MOL 326
Human Genomics: The Past, Present
and Future of the Human Genome
EEB 211 or MOL 214 or
COS 126 or ISC 231/2
MAE 344
Biomechanics and Biomaterials: From
Cells to Organisms
MAT 103/4, PHY103/4
ET
MOL 340
Molecular and Cellular Immunology
MOL 214
MOL 342
Genetics
MOL 214
MOL 345/
CHM 345
Biochemistry
MOL 214 and CHM
304/304B
MOL 348
Cell and Developmental Biology
MOL 342 or MOL 345
MOL 410
Introduction to Biological Dynamics
MAT 103 or equivalent
MOL 415
Modern Biophysics and Systems Biology
MOL 433/
CBE 434
Biotechnology
MOL 342 or MOL 345
ET
MOL 434
Macromolecular Structure and
Mechanisms in Disease
MOL 345 or permission
from instructor
MOL 435
Pathogenesis and Bacterial Diversity
MOL 342 or permission
from instructor
MOL 448/
CHM 448
Chemistry, Structure, and Structure
Functions of Nucleic Acids
MOL 457
Computational Aspect of Molecular
Biology
One 300-level MOL, CHM
course
MOL 459
Viruses: Strategy and Tactics
MOL 342 or MOL 348 or
permission of instructor
MOL 423
Molecular Basis of Cancer
NEU 201/ PSY
258
Fundamentals of Neuroscience
NEU 202/ PSY
259
Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
NEU 258/PSY 258
NEU 408/
MOL 408/ PSY
404
Cellular and Systems Neuroscience
MOL 214, PSY 258, MAT
103, PHY 104
NEU 437/ MOL
437/ PSY 437
Computational Neuroscience
MOL 410 or basic linear
algebra, probability, MAE
305
PSY 406
Functional Neuroanatomy
PSY 407
Developmental Neuroscience
PSY 208, 256 or 258
QCB 455/ COS
455
Introduction to Genomics and
Computational Molecular Biology
3
Entrepreneurship and Management, Track 2
CBE 260/ EGR
260
Ethics and Technology: Engineering in
the Real World
ET
CEE 334/ SPI
452/ ENV 334/
ENE 334
Global Environmental Issues
AP chemistry, CHM 201, or
permission of instructor
ET
CEE 460
Risk Assessment and Management
ORF 245, MAT 202
ET
CHV 321/ ENV
321/ SPI 371
Ethical and Scientific Issues in
Environmental Policy
CHV 331/ SPI
372
Ethics and Public Health
COS 432/ ECE
432
Information Security
COS 217, 226
ET
ECO 310
Microeconomic Theory: A
Mathematical Approach
ECO 100 & MAT 200 or
201
ECO 311
Macroeconomics: A Mathematical
Approach
ECO 100 & ECO 101 &
MAT 200 or MAT 201
EGR 491/ ORF
491
High-Tech Entrepreneurship
EGR 494
Leadership Development for Business
EGR 495
Special Topics in Entrepreneurship
EGR 497
Entrepreneurial Leadership
GEO 366/ ENV
339/ SPI 451/
ENE 366
Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation,
Policy
MAT 101/2, CHM 201/2
or PHY 101/2, GEO 202
ORF 245
Fundamentals of Engineering Statistics
ORF 335
Introduction to Financial Mathematics
ECO 102, MAT 104, ORF
309
ORF 435
Financial Risk and Wealth Management
ORF 245, ECO 202, 335, or
465
SML 201
Introduction to Data Science
SPI 373/ CHV
373
Welfare, Economics and Climate
Change Mitigation Policy
Not open to first years
Energy and Environmental Technology, Track 3
AST 309/ MAE
309/ PHY 309
Science and Technology of Nuclear
Energy: Fission and Fusion
PHY 101-102, 103-104, 107-
109, MAT 201 or 203, EGR
191-194
ET
CBE 421/ CHM
421
Green and Catalytic Chemistry
CHM 301
ET
CEE 207/ ENV
207
Introduction to Environmental
Engineering
CHM 201 or MSE 104
ET
CEE 304/ ENE
304/ ENV 300
Environmental Engineering and Energy
CHM 201 and MAT 104
ET
CEE 306
Hydrology: Water and Climate
MAT 201 (concurrent)
ET
4
CEE 308
Environmental Engineering Laboratory
CEE 303/301
ET
CEE 311/ CHM
311/ GEO 311
Global Air Pollution
CEE 303/301 or CHM
303/304
ET
CEE 471
Introduction to Water Pollution
Technology
ET
CEE 474/ ENV
474
Special Topics in CEE- Design and
Construction of Environmental Sensors
ET
CEE 477/ ENE
477
Engineering Design for Sustainable
Development
CEE 303/301 or equivalent
ET
ENE 267/ MSE
287/ CEE 267
Materials for Energy Technologies and
Efficiency
ENE 321/ CEE
321/ ENV 371
Resource Recovery for a Circular
Economy
ENE 410/ CBE
410/ MAE 410
Optimization for the Design and
Analysis of Energy Systems
MAT 202 and MAE 305 or
equivalent courses
ET
ENE 414
Renewable Energy Systems
MAE 228 or equivalent
ET
ENE 431
Solar Energy Conversion
Completed first year
science or EGR courses. Jr
& Sr only
ET
ENE 318/ CBE
318
Fundamentals of Biofuels
ET
ENV 200A-F
The Environmental Nexus
ENV 305
Topics in Environmental Studies –
Hormonally Active Pollutants
GEO 360/ ENV
356
Geochemistry of the Human
Environment
CHM 201 or AP chemistry
GEO 361/ ENV
361/ CEE 360
Earth’s Atmosphere
MAT 201, PHY 104 or
equivalent
ET
GEO 363/ CHM
331/ ENV 331
Environmental Geochemistry:
Chemistry of the Natural Systems
CHM 201 or AP chemistry
GEO 366/
ENV 339/ SPI
451/ ENE 366
Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation,
Policy
MAT 101/2, and CHM
201/2 or PHY 101/2, GEO
202
GEO 418
Environmental Aqueous Geochemistry
One year of CHM, CHM
306 recommended
GEO 423/ CEE
423
Dynamic Meteorology
(1) 200-level math course
ET
GEO 424/ CEE
424/ ENE 425
Introductory Seismology
PHY 104 and MAE 305
ET
GEO 470/ CHM
470
Environmental Chemistry of Soils
GEO 331 or any CHM course
MAE 328/
EGR 328/ ENV
328
Energy for a Greenhouse-Constrained
World MAE 221, MAE 222
ET
MAE 424/
ENE 424
Energy Storage Systems
First year PHY & CHM
ET
5
MAE 427
Energy Conversion and the
Environment: Transportation
Applications
MAE 221, MAE 222
ET
Materials and Product Engineering, Track 4
CBE 415/
CHM 415/
MSE 425
Polymers CHM 301/303
ET
CBE 422/ MSE
422
Molecular Modeling Methods
COS 126 and MAE 305
ET
CBE 430/
MAE 430/
MSE 430
Squishy Engineering: Using Soft
Materials to Solve Hard Problems
ET
CBE 433/ MSE
424
Introduction to the Mechanics and
Dynamics of Soft Living Matter
ET
CEE 364/ ARC
364
Materials in Civil Engineering
ET
CHM 403
Advanced Biochemistry
CHM 301/302 or 304 or
303
CHM 409
Structural Solid State Chemistry
Gen Chem. or AP and
thermo
ECE 341
Solid State Devices
ELE 208
ET
ECE 342
Principles of Quantum Engineering
PHY 103 and 104
ET
ECE 455/ CEE
455/
MAE 455/
MSE 455
Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health
and the Environment
ET
ECE 441/ ENE
441
Solid State Physics I
ELE 342 or PHY 208 and
305 or equiv.
ECE 449/ MSE
449
Micro-Nanofabrication and Thin-Film
Processing
ET
GEO 378
Mineralogy
MAE 324/
MSE 324
Structure and Properties of Materials
MAE 221, CEE 205
ET
MSE 301
Materials Science and Engineering
ET
MSE 302
Laboratory Techniques in Materials
Science and Engineering
MSE 301
ET
MSE 505
Characterization of Materials
Optimization, Dynamics, and Information Technology, Track 5
CBE 422/ MSE
422
Molecular Modeling Methods
COS 126 and MAE 305
ET
COS 217
Introduction to Programming Systems
COS 126
ET
6
COS 226
Algorithms and Data Structures
COS 126
ET
COS 240
Reasoning about Computation
COS 126 and COS 226
ET
COS 302/ SML
305 / ECE 305
Mathematics for Numerical Computing
and Machine Learning
COS 126 and CMAT 202
COS 343
Algorithms in Computational Biology
COS 126 and COS 226
ET
COS 402
Artificial Intelligence
COS 226
ET
COS 424
Interacting with Data
MAT 202 and COS 126
ET
COS 485
Neural Networks: Theory and
Applications
ET
EEB 355/ MOL
355
Introduction to Statistics for Biology
ENE 410/ CBE
410/ MAE 410
Optimization for the Design and
Analysis of Energy Systems
MAT 202 and MAE 305 or
equivalent courses
ET
MAE 433
Automatic Control Systems
ET
MAE 434
Modern Control
ET
ORF 245/ EGR
245
Fundamentals of Engineering Statistics
ORF 307
Optimization
MAT 202
ET
ORF 309/ EGR
309/ MAT 280
Probability and Stochastic Systems
MAT 201/203/217
ORF 311
Stochastic Optimization and Machine
Learning in Finance
ORF 307 or MAT 305
ORF 363/ COS
323
Computing and Optimization for the
Physical and Social Sciences
MAT 201/202 or MAT
203/204
ORF 409
Intro to Monte Carlo Simulation
ORF 245, 309
ORF 411/ ECE
411
Sequential Decision Analytics and
Modeling
ORF 307, 309, 245
ET
SML 201
Introduction to Data Science
SML 305/ECE
305/COS 302
Mathematics for Numerical Computing
and Machine Learning
COS126 and MAT 202
Science and Engineering for New Technologies, Track 6
Transport Phenomena
MAE 306/
MAT 392
Mathematics in Engineering II
MAE 305 or MAT 301
MAE 336
Viscous Flows
MAE 221, 222, and 224
ET
MAE 423/
ENE 423
Heat Transfer
MAE 221 and 222
ET
Chemical Technology
CBE 421/ CHM
421
Green and Catalytic Chemistry
CHM 301
ET
CHM 302
Organic Chemistry II with Biological
Emphasis
CHM 301
7
CHM 304
Organic Chemistry II: Foundations of
Chemical Reactivity and Synthesis
CHM 301
CHM 305
The Quantum World
CHM 202 or 215, MAT 102
or 104, PHY 101
CHM 306
Physical Chemistry: Chemical
Thermodynamics and Kinetics
CHM 201/202 (or 207),
204/215, MAT 104, PHY
101/102/103/104
CHM 403
Advanced Biochemistry
301 and 302 (or 304)
CHM 405
Advanced Physical Chemistry: Quantum
Mechanics
CHM 202 or 215, MAT 201,
202, PHY 103
CHM 406
Advanced Physical Chemistry: Chemical
Dynamics and Thermodynamics
CHM 202, 215 or CBE 342,
MAT 201
CHM 407
Inorganic Chemistry: Structure and
Bonding
CHM 201/202, 207/208,
215
CHM 408
Inorganic Chemistry: Reactions and
Mechanisms
Juniors and Seniors only
Engineering Physics
PHY 207
From Classical to Quantum Mechanics
PHY 103/4, 105/6, MAT
201 or 203
PHY 208
Principles of Quantum Mechanics
MAT 202, MAT 204 or MAT
217 and PHY 205 or 207
PHY 301
Thermal Physics
PHY 104 or 106; PHY 208
PHY 304
Advanced Electromagnetism
PHY 104 or PHY 106
PHY 305
Introduction to Quantum Theory
Not open to first years
Electronic Materials Processing
ECE 206/ COS
306
Contemporary Logic Design
ET
ECE 308
Electronic and Photonic Devices
MAT 103-104 and PHY
103-104
ET
ECE 341
Solid State Devices
ELE 208
ET
ECE 342
Principles of Quantum Engineering
PHY 103 and 104
ET
ECE 441/ ENE
441
Solid State Physics I
ELE 342 or PHY 208 and
PHY 305
8
The Four-Year Curriculum
A sample four-year curriculum is shown below. In the following outline, the curriculum assumes no
Advanced Placement. In this outline, we have also assumed that students will take two 200-level chemistry
courses and will do one year of senior thesis (CBE 454) to complete the 9 departmental courses.
Many students enter their undergraduate studies with one or more terms of Advanced Placement in
Chemistry and/or Mathematics. Such AP credit may change the curriculum significantly. Hence, the First-
year Advisers and the Director of Undergraduate Studies will work with students to design personalized
curriculums.
A FOUR-YEAR CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM
FALL
SPRING
FIRST
YEAR
MAT 103 Calculus
MAT 104 Calculus
PHY 103 Physics
PHY 104 Physics
CHM 201 Chemistry
CHM 202 Chemistry
HSS Humanities/Social Science
Computer Requirement
Writing Requirement
SOPHOMORE
YEAR
MAT 201 Multivariable Calculus
CBE 246 Thermodynamics
CBE 245 An Introduction to Chemical and
Biochemical Engineering Principles
MOL 214 Molecular Biology
CHM 301 Organic Chemistry
MAE 305 Differential Equations
MAT 202 Linear Algebra
Program Elective
HSS Humanities/Social Science
HSS Humanities/Social Science
JUNIOR
YEAR
CBE 250 Separations in Chemical
Engineering and Biotechnology
CBE 346 Chemical and Biological
Engineering Laboratory
CBE 341 Mass, Momentum, Energy
Transport
CBE 441 Chemical Reaction Engineering
Program Elective
Program Elective
Program Elective
HSS Humanities/Social Science
HSS Humanities/Social Science
SENIOR
YEAR
CBE 442 Design, Synthesis, and
Optimization of Chemical Processes
CBE 454 Senior Thesis
CBE 454 (does not appear on transcript)
HSS Humanities/Social Science
Program Elective
Open Elective
HSS Humanities/Social Science
Open Elective
9
First Year
Advanced Placement in chemistry or mathematics allows students to take courses in these areas normally
assigned to later years in the curriculum.
Although the writing requirement must be fulfilled within the first two years, it is strongly recommended
that it be fulfilled in the first year. Even a 5 on the AP English exam will not exempt students from the
writing requirement.
A student desiring a head start in Chemical and Biological Engineering and having Advanced Placement in
chemistry may elect to take CBE 245 Introduction to Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Principles, in
the fall term. This will permit them to take CBE 246 Thermodynamics, or MOL 214 Molecular Biology, in
the spring term, thus freeing up upper class years for more technical or humanities electives.
Computer Science proficiency is required by the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and is
demonstrated by completion of COS 126 General Computer Science. Most students satisfy this
requirement in the first year. Students with advanced preparation in computer science may place into a
more advanced course. This option should be discussed with the COS placement officer during
orientation. It is the policy of SEAS that this requirement must be satisfied by the students by taking an
appropriate course at Princeton University.
Any student who has completed the above first year or its equivalent has the proper preparation for
entrance into the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. BSE students enroll in a department
in April of the first year.
Sophomore Year
Required courses such as Differential Equations (MAE 305), Molecular Biology (MOL 214), and Organic
Chemistry (CHM 303) should be completed by the end of sophomore year.
Students who took CBE 245 and CBE 246 in their first year may elect to take CBE 250 Separations in
Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and elective courses in their sophomore year.
Students who are not yet fully committed to a department, but are still considering Chemical and
Biological Engineering at the beginning of their sophomore year, should elect CBE 245 along with basic
10
courses in the alternate department considered. This will permit such students to delay their final choice
of department until the spring of the sophomore year.
Should an A.B. student wish to transfer to Chemical and Biological Engineering at the beginning of the
sophomore year, she/he must have the necessary mathematics and chemistry background. However, if
that student has had no physics, it may be taken in the sophomore year or as an approved summer course
at another institution.
After the fall term of sophomore year, transfer into the Department is difficult without the background
outlined in the two years above but not impossible. Outstanding students who are well motivated have
been accommodated in the past and they have gone on to do very well. Please see the Director of
Undergraduate Studies for details.
Junior Year
Students are advised to attempt to complete as many of their program electives during their junior year as
possible.
Senior Year
It is the Department’s desire to be as flexible as possible. Students are expected to take a two-semester
senior thesis project (CBE 454), which is the norm and required for departmental honors. The minimum
requirement is a one semester thesis (CBE 451 or CBE 452) plus one additional approved CBE elective
course. Please consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies in April of the junior year if you plan on a
one-semester independent project. In some cases, arrangements have been made to have the senior
thesis research conducted in other departments.
Although CBE 454 appears on the transcript only in the spring term, it is viewed as being equivalent to one
course in the fall and one course in the spring. SEAS requires each student to take at least four courses
each semester. Thus every student doing a two-term thesis must sign up for the CBE 454 and three other
(taught) courses in the spring semester. The student is permitted to sign up for no less than three taught
courses in the fall semester (with CBE 454 not appearing on the course card being the fourth course).
11
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
Certificate programs may be pursued in parallel with one of the departmental concentrations through
appropriate course selections. Certificates are recognition of proficiency in a sub-discipline. The CBE
curriculum is organized to permit the program electives to satisfy some of the certificate requirements as
well. The charts below show the certificates awarded to CBE students and the career choices of the
certificate recipients.
Future plans for Certificate Holders 2021-2023
Many departments at the University offer certificate programs. Musical Performance, Creative Writing,
Theater and Dance, Language and Culture, and Finance are just a sample of the certificate programs our
current undergraduates are pursuing. Some of the popular certificate programs for Chemical and
Biological Engineering students are listed below.
Program
Program Adviser, Contact Info
Engineering Biology Celeste M. Nelson, celesten@princeton.edu
Engineering Physics Daniel R. Marlow, marlow@princeton.edu
Applications of Computing
Kevin Wayne wayne@princeton.edu
Environmental Studies Corina E. Tarnita, ctarnita@princeton.edu
Finance
Markus K. Brunnermeier, markus@princeton.edu
Materials Science and Engineering Alejandro W. Rodriguez, arod@Princeton.edu
Neuroscience Elizabeth Gould, goulde@princeton.edu
Sustainable Energy
Egemen Kolemen, ekolemen@princeton.edu
13%
15%
32%
19%
18%
Undecided
Medical School
Other
Industry
Graduate School
Engineering Biology
(29 Students)
5%
5%
24%
29%
38%
Undecided
Medical School
Other
Industry
Graduate School
Materials Science
(19 students)
12
INDEPENDENT WORK
General
The Department strongly believes that every graduate should be able to pursue effectively the study of
some subject by themselves. It also believes that such study should come late enough in a student’s
academic career so that the experience is not only that of learning something new but of organizing that
which is already known and seeing the two in perspective. The department encourages underclassmen to
seek out opportunities to participate in research activities sponsored by the faculty. These are viewed as
excellent preparation for senior thesis work.
In spite of the above conviction, the Department recognizes that occasionally a student may benefit more
from additional course work rather than from independent study. Consequently, although it officially
requires at least one term of senior independent study, it is prepared to make a limited number of
exceptions to this rule where students can make good cases for them. Note that one-term projects are
either CBE 451 (fall term) or CBE 452 (spring term), and two-term projects are CBE 454 Senior Thesis.
Junior Independent Work
Typically, several students engage in Junior Independent Work. Students wishing to conduct Junior
Independent work should identify a faculty mentor and a topic and write a brief proposal about their
planned research. The requirements for satisfactory completion of the study include a written report, and
may include an oral presentation to peers and the faculty. Students register for CBE 351 in the fall and CBE
352 in the spring term. Students are required to complete a lab safety course before starting laboratory
research. Note that CBE 351 and CBE 352 are considered free electives and can be considered to be ET
courses depending on assessment of the work, but do not count towards any other requirements.
Senior Thesis Work
Most seniors consider their senior thesis experience--working with a single faculty member on a
challenging problem--to be one of the high points of their education. Each spring the department
circulates to the junior class a document that summarizes the research of each member of the faculty, as
well as the typical engineering topic content of theses performed in their groups. Students are allowed
time to consider these selections, talk with faculty or make suggestions of their own. At the end of this
period, they submit a rank list of advisors. The faculty then tries to satisfy student interest and yet
maintain a reasonable distribution of students throughout the department. Even with large classes it
usually is possible to grant each student one of her/his first two choices. No student is ever required to
work on a project in which she/he has no interest.
The requirements for two-term projects are two progress reports (one submitted late fall and one early in
the spring term), a final thesis, a poster presentation, and a final oral examination during the Reading
Period in the spring semester. In order to assure more uniform evaluation of students, four different
faculty members grade students on the thesis, poster presentation, and the final examination. The Senior
Thesis Guide issued by the Department has additional details.
For one-term projects, one progress report submitted before the midterm break, a final written report and
a final oral examination are required. The written report is due in the first week of the reading period and
the oral examination will be held during the second week of reading period.
13
For one-term projects students register for CBE 451 for the fall term and CBE 452 in the spring. If a two-
term project is chosen the student registers for CBE 454 in the spring term only. Nothing appears on the
transcript for the fall term. CBE 454 automatically carries double credit; that fact is noted on the official
transcript.
Senior Thesis / Independent Work Funding
Seniors in the School of Engineering and Applied Science may apply for support for senior thesis and
independent work research from funds administered by the SEAS Dean's Office. These funds are normally
restricted to consumable supplies, software, small equipment and parts, and travel for field experiments.
They do not cover conference travel, books and journals, copying and thesis preparation costs, or capital
equipment. Funding per project varies, but will normally not exceed $600; requests above that amount will
be considered only if accompanied by a special request letter from your adviser. All awards are contingent
on the availability of funds.
The SEAS Undergraduate Affairs Office will send out information, via email, to students explaining how and
when to apply for funding for senior thesis or independent work projects.
Application materials must be submitted, according to the deadline depending on the semester to Dean
Peter Bogucki.
For additional information please consult the School of Engineering and Applied Science website at:
https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/sophomore-senior-advising/senior-thesis-
independent-work-funding
Thomas Hellstern ’12 and Professor Rodney D. Priestley
Senior Thesis Poster Presentation in the Friend Center for Engineering
Sample Senior Thesis Titles
Avalos
Applications of protein-level regulation and optogenetics in metabolic engineering
of S. cerevisiae
Nanoparticle-assisted growth of algae for application in the production of biofuels
and other specialty products
Brangwynne
The Role of Oligomerization and Sequence Patterning in Tuning the Immiscibility
of Synthetic Multiphase Condensates in Mammalian Cells
Measuring and manipulating RNA/protein bodies using microinjected
nanoparticles
Brun
Wrinkling in Polymer Films of Varying Thickness
Investigating the Geometry and Fluid Mechanics of 3-D Printing Defects via
Under-Extrusion
Brynildsen
An exploration of cheater dynamics during nitric oxide induced competition
Investigating H
2
O
2
metabolism in the absence of the major detoxification systems
Conway
Expression, Purification and Analysis of Essential Indole-3-Acetic Acid Degradation
Enzymes from Root Microbiome Isolates
Expanding the Genetic Toolkit of Extremely Thermophilic, Lignocellulose
Degrading Caldicellulosiruptor bescii
Datta
Deep Breaths: A Dynamic Network Model of Respiration
The Effect of Competing Chemical Gradients on Antibiotic Sensitivity in Structured
Bacterial Communities
Davidson
Impact of Crosslinking Density on Liquid Crystal Elastomer Properties
Koel
Photochemistry at modified hematite (α-Fe2O3) surfaces for production of
renewable hydrogen
Advancing plasma-assisted catalysis for ammonia synthesis through non-
perturbative electric field characterization and investigation of surface nickel
nitride formation
Link
Utilization of Lasso Peptides for the Biomineralization of Calcium Carbonate
Construction of Fusion Lasso Peptides with Pharmaceutically-Relevant Sequences
Loo
Design and Cost Analysis of Low-Carbon Transportation Fuel and Electricity
Coproduction that Includes Carbon Capture and Storage in Shale Gas Formations
Maravelias
Optimizing a Lignocellulosic Biofuel Supply Chain Between 2020 and 2050
Nelson
Pattern Formation in Avian Lung Development
Hypoxia and the mechanical microenvironment
Panagiotopoulos
Probing Surfactant Self-Assembly and Calculating Critical Micelle Concentrations
Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Exploration of the Phase Space of the Morse Potential
Priestley
The Impacts of Tacticity and Repeat Unit Structure on the Growth of Irreversibly
Adsorbed Poly(alkylmethacrylate) Layers
Non-Contact Method to Measure the Viscoelastic Properties of Ultrathin Films
Prud'homme
Nanoparticle Drug Delivery for Cancer and Drug Resistant TB
Towards the Development of Accessible and Biocompatible Porphyrin
Nanoparticles for PET Imaging Applications
Register
Ring-Opening Metathesis Copolymerization of Bicyclic and Monocyclic Olefins
Endo/exo reactivity ratios in living vinyl addition polymerization of substituted
norbornenes
Sarazen
Elucidating the CO2 Electroreduction Mechanism of a Metalloporphyrin PCN-222
Metal–Organic Framework
Utilizing Aminopolymer Adsorbents Supported on Metal-Organic Frameworks
(MOFs) for CO2 Capture
Webb
Computational Insights into the Atomic-Scale Structure and Interactions
Underlying the Stability and Performance of Amorphous Solid Dispersions of
Cannabidiol
Coarse-Grained Modeling of Stress Granule Structure and Dissolution with Small-
Molecule Compounds
Ion Transport in Two-Dimensional Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskite
Sulfur removal from petroleum by reaction with PbO.
[Image courtesy of Professor Emeritus Jay B. Benziger]
INTERNSHIP MILESTONE CREDIT
The CBE department participates in the Internship Milestone Credit (IMC) program. To qualify for
IMC, the internship has to be directly related to the course of study in chemical and biological
engineering, and the student will be expected to clearly articulate how the internship enriches the
training that they are provided by the CBE curriculum. Citing specific examples of how the
internship will complement content and concepts from one or more courses required by the CBE
curriculum is expected.
For more information about this program and the application form, please visit the below website.
https://registrar.princeton.edu/student-and-alumni-services/summer-undergraduate-internship-
milestone-credit
STUDY ABROAD
CBE students can study abroad; however, interested students are urged to initiate the conversation
and planning early (within their first year). Students should consult with their academic adviser,
CBE Director of Undergraduate Studies, and the Office of International Programs, which
coordinates Study Abroad at Princeton. For more information about study abroad, please visit the
below website.
https://oip.princeton.edu/
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
School of Engineering and Applied Science
The 36-course requirement cited above may be met by four 4-course terms and four 5-course
terms. However, a student may not reduce any term below four courses by taking additional 5-
course terms. The minimum number of courses a student may take in any one term is four.
Independent Work counts as one course in each term it is taken. Note: Although the senior thesis
(CBE 454) appears only in the spring term course card, it counts as one course in the fall and one in
the spring. Seniors must be registered for at least three “taught” courses each semester. The three
taught courses plus the senior thesis satisfy the four course requirement.
The School also specifies that no required course may be taken on a Pass/D/Fail basis. For the CBE
department, this regulation means that all the core requirements and CBE requirements must be
taken on a graded basis.
The School also requires that the departmental average must be at least 2.000 to permit a student
to graduate.
ACADEMIC HONORS
The Department awards academic honors (Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors) using
departmental grade point average (GPA) as one of the criteria. To compute Departmental GPA, the
grades from CBE 245, 246, 250, 341, 346, 441, 442 and 454 are taken into consideration along with
grades from the five program elective courses. If the student has taken more than five program
electives, the five courses with the highest grades that satisfy the concentration and breadth
requirements are taken in the departmental GPA calculation. The average GPA based on these 14
courses (454, senior thesis, is double-weighted) will be the Departmental GPA. The Departmental
GPA is used by the faculty in the determination of awards and honors.
There are no automatic ranges in GPA for awarding honors. The Departmental GPA is only one of
several factors that go into the decision process for deciding honors. A two-semester senior thesis
is required for departmental honors. Quality of the senior thesis (or independent work), junior
independent work (if applicable), service and general impressions made by the student on the
faculty are also taken into consideration in honors calculation. Furthermore, to assure that a given
class of honors remains consistent from year to year, the faculty compares students in one year
with those who have received honors in recent years. Thus, every attempt is made to be fair to the
student and also to maintain the quality of the honors being granted.
The following table shows honors distributions awarded by the Department over the last five years.
Honors
High Honors
Highest Honors
Percentage of
Graduates
Percentage of
Graduates
Percentage of
Graduates
26%
20%
11%
If a student receives any form of academic honors, that fact is noted by public announcement on
Class Day, printed in the Commencement program, and appears on the diploma.
HONOR SOCIETIES, AWARDS, AND PRIZES
In addition to academic honors, students are recognized for special achievement in other ways.
Although the number and types of prizes and awards may vary from year to year, the following list
is representative, but may not be complete.
Honor Societies
Phi Beta Kappa
All University seniors are eligible for membership in Phi Beta Kappa, probably the most prestigious
as well as the oldest honor society. Each year, in May, it elects approximately the top 10% of the
graduating class, ranking being dependent on the overall average for four years.
Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi is the engineering analog of Phi Beta Kappa. Each year in the spring it elects
approximately the top 1/8 of the junior class and the top 1/5 of the senior class. While overall
average up to the time of election is the primary criterion, Tau Beta Pi considers the personal
character of the student and her/his service to the University in addition to scholarship.
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi is an honorary research society whose members are largely from the sciences, including
engineering. It has two classes of membership. Full membership is normally reserved for Ph.D.
candidates, but seniors are eligible for Associate Membership. Nominees usually have excellent
scholastic records, but the primary criterion for election is promise in research. Unlike Phi Beta
Kappa and Tau Beta Pi, individual faculty members (rather than the Department as a whole) decide
which students should receive the honor of election to Sigma Xi, which occurs in the spring of
senior year. If membership in Sigma Xi interests you, speak to your senior thesis adviser in the
spring term of your senior year.
Awards and Prizes in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering has several awards to recognize the
accomplishments of our undergraduate majors. Awards are made at the time of Class Day exercises
just prior to Commencement.
AIChE Awards sponsored by The Ernest F. Johnson Foundation
The Central New Jersey Section of The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) gives two
awards every year.
The Award for Overall Excellence in Chemical Engineering, is presented to the top student of the
graduating class.
The Ernest F. Johnson Distinguished Service Award, is awarded to that senior in the Department
elected by her/his classmates "who has displayed exemplary character, service, spirit, and
leadership from which her/his classmates have benefited".
Christodoulos A. Floudas Chemical Process Design Award
This is awarded annually to the group that produces the best solution to the design project in CBE
442.
The Richard K. Toner Thermodynamics Prize
This is awarded to the student(s) who has demonstrated superior scholarship, with special
excellence in thermodynamics, who is planning a career in Chemical Engineering, or graduate
studies in Chemical Engineering.
The Michelle Goudie '93 Senior Thesis Award, funded by the Du Pont Company
This award, established in the memory of Michelle Goudie '93 by the Du Pont Company, will be
presented to a senior majoring in Chemical and Biological Engineering for outstanding
accomplishment in the energy and environmental area. Nominations will be submitted by
individual faculty members to the Department Representative, on the basis of students'
participation in the Environmental Studies Program and/or senior thesis research. The award
recipient will be chosen by vote of the full faculty of the Department.
Sigma Xi Book Prize
The Sigma Xi Book Prize consists of a copy of the CRC Handbook and is presented a student with
high achievement in both coursework and senior thesis.
Awards Presented by the School of Engineering and Applied Science
Although not under the control of the Department, there are several prizes and awards given by
the School of Engineering. Each of these has been awarded to a chemical and biological
engineering major at least once in the previous ten years. The major awards are:
J. Rich Steers Award
To reward high scholastic performance that demonstrates potential for further engineering study
and practice.
Tau Beta Pi Prize
For significant service to the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Calvin Dodd MacCracken Senior Thesis Award
To recognizes the senior thesis that is most distinctive for its inventiveness and technical
accomplishment.
Joseph Clifton Elgin Award
Awarded to a senior(s) who has done the most to advance the interest of the School of Engineering
in the community at large.
Lore von Jaskowsky Memorial Prize
Awarded to a senior who has a B or better average, has participated with noticeable élan in
research that has resulted in a contribution to the field, whose interactions with other students,
faculty, and staff has added to the quality of the university life, and who intends to pursue a career
in engineering or applied science.
George J. Mueller Award
To honor the graduating senior who most evidently combined high scholarly achievement with
quality of performance in intercollegiate athletics.
James Hayes-Edgar Palmer Prize in Engineering
Awarded to a senior who has manifested excellent scholarship, a marked capacity for leadership
and promise of creative achievement in Engineering.
Awards Presented by the University
In addition to awards administered by the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and
those awarded by the School of Engineering and Applied Science, there are awards made by the
University for which all University seniors are eligible. A listing of all University
prizes is given in the current issue of the Undergraduate Announcement.
www.princeton.edu/ua
Top panel: The environmental SEM images of the eggshells of fruit fly species.
Bottom panel: The genesis of these morphologies is driven by gene expression in epithelial
sheets
[Images courtesy of the Shvartsman Research Group]
ADVISING
First Year
Members of the Chemical and Biological Engineering faculty and their colleagues from other
engineering departments serve as advisors to first-year engineering students. Generally, students
who have indicated an interest in chemical and biological engineering as a major will be assigned to
a CBE faculty member. However, any student should feel free to consult any member of the
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering about her/his interests. Students signing into
the CBE department at the end of the first year will be advised by the Director of Undergraduate
Studies and/or members of the CBE faculty undergraduate committee.
Sophomore-Senior Years
Sophomores are advised by professors within the Chemical and Biological Engineering department
and remain as the student’s adviser until graduation. By continuing with the same adviser for three
years, each student should get to know one faculty member well and be comfortable with her/him.
The Director of Undergraduate Studies
The Director of Undergraduate Studies is the person most directly responsible for the
undergraduate program. The Director of Undergraduate Studies represents the Department on
undergraduate matters before the Dean of the College and chairs the Department’s Undergraduate
Committee. If students have any problems which cannot be solved elsewhere, they should consult
the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Although any engineering curriculum is difficult in terms of content and time requirements,
Chemical and Biological Engineering students have always found time to engage in every form of
extracurricular activities that the University offers—Athletics, Musical Organizations, Journalistic
Endeavors, the Student Volunteer Council, WPRB, the Triangle Club, Whig-Clio, Religious Functions,
and any other that you can think of. Such participation need have no deleterious effect on your
academic performance—indeed, most students are better off for the relaxation and stimulation
that these extracurricular functions provide. A few programs of special interest to CBE students are
given in the following list.
The Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Nearly all undergraduates join this student branch of the national professional society. New
officers are elected each spring, and the student chapter is advised by a faculty member. Students
are also welcome to attend meetings of the Central Jersey Section of the AIChE. These meetings
consist of talks by practicing engineers on a wide variety of subjects. Consult the departmental
bulletin boards for announcements of these meetings. https://aiche.princeton.edu/
The Society for Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers
(NSBE), and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
These three societies provide programs of interest for the groups indicated in their titles.
https://cbe.princeton.edu/undergraduate/student-resources
The Engineering Council
The E-Council is a representative body of the School which sponsors and promotes activities of
general interest and benefit to engineering undergraduates. It also provides an opportunity for
exchange of ideas between the various engineering societies (such as AIChE) and Princeton
University. It is made up of four officers and unlimited members. It produces Frosh Help, the
engineering student course guide, the physics guide, and the graduate school guide. It also gives
out teaching awards, arranges lunches for first-year students, holds forums, and provides study
breaks. https://ecouncil.princeton.edu/
International Association for Hydrogen Energy
Undergraduate students interested in energy join this student group with a main objective to
promote hydrogen as a sustainable energy carrier for the future. The group will also strive to
connect Princeton University students, especially those with an interest in energy technology or
public policy, to the worldwide opportunities and professional mentorships sponsored by IAHE. As
one of the organization’s pioneering student chapters in US, IAHE-PU will aim to engage the
campus with learning more about hydrogen energy, its potential, its limitations, and the open
questions motivating today’s cutting-edge research on alternative energy. The group aspires to
become an active member in the university’s Sustainability Plan, and to bring new technological
perspectives to the existing efforts on campus.
Generalized mechanisms for forming
structured silica through the interaction
of a structure-directing agent
(surfactant) and silicon alkoxide (TEOS).
[Image courtesy of the Aksay Research
Group]
POST GRADUATION PLANS
With academic pressures being what they are, it is not surprising that students reach senior year
without giving serious thought to their future careers. Some students, like those interested in
medicine, must, of course, reach a decision much earlier, and it will help all students if they give
some attention to this important matter during their early academic years.
The Department sponsors a regular series of seminars which are held on the average of once a
week. While they are intended primarily for faculty and graduate students, all persons are
welcome. We encourage our students to scan the programs for seminars of interest.
Not later than junior year, students should register with the Center for Career Development. That
office can be of great help in planning your career and in meeting professional representatives
who come to Princeton recruiting for both permanent and summer employment, as well as
internships. All recruiting and scheduling is handled through Career Development. The Department
lends assistance by talking with company representatives and writing letters of recommendation.
The Center for Career Development also can assist those contemplating graduate study. They also
have information on companies employing chemical engineers and biological engineers, whether
or not that company comes to Princeton for interviews.
Summer work is a good way of sharpening the focus of your interests. Most juniors get interesting
(well-paying) summer jobs either on their own or with the aid of the Center for Career
Development. A summer internship is well worth the effort for students who get one. Students
should check the bulletin boards and department mailboxes for opportunities.
THE FACULTY
Faculty members are listed alphabetically, with their rank and general fields of interest. For their
current undergraduate teaching activity, see the Undergraduate Announcement,
www.princeton.edu/ua.
José L. Avalos: Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor; Ph.D. Johns Hopkins
University, 2004. Metabolic engineering, organelle engineering, synthetic biology, systems biology,
structural biology and protein engineering; energy and the environment.
Clifford P. Brangwynne: Professor; Ph.D. Harvard University, 2007. Patterning in developing
embryos; Physical properties and function of RNA/protein bodies; Architecture and dynamics of the
cytoskeleton; theory and computation.
Pierre-Thomas Brun: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. University of Paris VI, 2012. Applied and
computational mathematics; bioengineering; materials synthesis, processing, structure and
properties. Complex materials processing, energy and environment, theory and computation.
Mark P. Brynildsen: Professor; Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, 2008. Host-pathogen
interactions and bacterial persistence. Biomoelcualr engineering, cellular and tissue engineering.
Jonathan M. Conway: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. North Carolina State University, 2017.
Biomolecular engineering; Energy and environment.
Sujit S. Datta: Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor; Ph.D. Harvard University,
2013. Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics; transport phenomena; materials synthesis,
processing, structure and properties; physico-chemical restructuring of biological materials;
environmental and energy science.
Emily C. Davidson: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 2016. Complex
materials and processing; energy and the environment.
Pablo G. Debenedetti: Dean for Research and Class of 1950 Professor in Engineering and Applied
Science; Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985. Thermodynamics and statistical
mechanics; theory of liquids and glasses; supercritical fluids.
David B. Graves: Professor, and Associate Lab Director for Low-Temperature Plasma Surface
Interactions, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory; Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 1986.
Biomolecular Engineering, complex materials and processing, surface science and catalysis, theory
and computation.
Jerelle A. Joseph: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. University of Cambridge, 2018. Biomolecular
engineering, cellular and tissue engineering, theory and computation.
Bruce E. Koel: Professor; Ph.D. University of Texas, Austin, 1981. Structure, Reactivity, and Catalysis
of Bimetallic Pt Alloys; Characterizing Reactions of Iron Nanoparticles; Characterization of Novel
PEM Fuel Cell Electrodes; Development of Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) as a Probe of Liquid-
Solid Interfaces.
A. James Link: Director of Graduate Studies and Professor; Ph.D. California Institute of Technology,
2006. Peptide and protein engineering, chemical biology, applied microbiology
Yueh-Lin (Lynn) Loo: Theodora D. ’78 and William H. Walton III ’74 Professor in Engineering; Ph.D.
Princeton University, 2001. Organic and polymer electronics; soft lithography; self-assembled
monolayers on metal and semiconductor surfaces; block copolymers.
Marcella Lusardi: Assistant Professor, and Princeton Materials Institute; Ph.D. Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 2018. Complex materials and processing, energy and environment, surface
science and catalysis.
Christos Maravelias: Chair and Anderson Family Professor in Energy and the Environment, and
Professor; Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University, 2004. Energy and the environment; theory and
simulation.
Celeste M. Nelson: Director of the Program in Engineering Biology, and Wilke Family Professor in
Bioengineering, and Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Ph.D. Johns Hopkins
University, 2003. Mammalian tissue, morphogenesis/morphodynamics;
microfrabrication/bioMEMS for tissue engineering; cell adhesion and mechanics.
Athanassios Z. Panagiotopoulos: Susan Dod Brown Professor of Chemical and Biological
Engineering; Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986. Molecular simulation methods;
phase transitions of ionic, polymeric and surfactant systems; self-assembled nanoscale materials.
Rodney D. Priestley: Dean of The Graduate School, Associate Director Princeton Center for
Complex Materials, and Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Chemical and Biological
Engineering; Ph.D. Northwestern University, 2008. Polymer Science and Engineering, Nanoscale
Materials Characterization, Supramolecular Polymers, Healing and Responsive Materials, Polymeric
Membranes.
Robert K. Prud’homme: Professor; Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, 1978. Rheology and rheo-optics
of structured fluids; characterization and application of natural polymers
Richard A. Register: Director of the Princeton Materials Institute, and the Eugene Higgins Professor
of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, 1989. Morphology and
rheology of multiphase polymeric materials; polymer structure-processing-property relationships.
Michele L. Sarazen: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 2016. Energy and
environment, Surface science and catalysis, theory and computation.
Sankaran Sundaresan: Norman John Sollenberger Professor in Engineering; Ph.D. University of
Houston, 1980. Dynamics of two-phase flows, trickle-bed reactors and fluidized beds;
environmentally benign chemical processing.
Michael A. Webb: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, 2016. Biomolecular
Engineering, cellular and tissue engineering. Complex materials and processing, energy and the
environment, theory and simulation.
Associated Faculty
Ian C. Bourg: Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Princeton
Environmental Institute; Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 2004; Natural and Engineered Clay
Barriers, Geologic Carbon Sequestration, Kinetic Isotope Effects at Water Surfaces.
Daniel J. Cohen: Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Ph.D. University of
California, Berkeley and San Francisco, 2013; Dynamics and Control, Materials Science.
Adji Bousso Dieng: Assistant Professor of Computer Science; Ph.D. Columbia University, 2020;
Complex materials and processing, theory and computation.
Mohamed S. Abou Donia: Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology; Ph.D. University of Utah, 2010;
Small-molecule-mediated interactions in complex microbial communities.
Kelsey B. Hatzell: Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and the Andlinger
Center for Energy and the Environment; Ph.D. Drexel University, 2015; Energy and environment,
surface science and catalysis.
William M. Jacobs: Assistant Professor of Chemistry; Ph.D. University of Cambridge, 2014; Theory
and simulation of molecular self-assembly; multicomponent fluids; biomolecules; design of soft
materials.
Cameron A. Myhrvold: Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology; Ph.D. Harvard University, 2016;
Biomolecular engineering.
Glaucio H. Paulino: Margareta Engman Augustine Professor of Engineering, and Professor Civil and
Environmental Engineering and the Princeton Materials Institute; Ph.D. Cornell University, 1995;
Complex materials and processing, theory and computation.
Sabine Petry: Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology; Ph.D. University of Cambridge, 2007;
Molecular Architecture and Function of the Microtubule Cytoskeleton.
Z. Jason Ren: Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Andlinger Center for
Energy and the Environment, and Associate Director for Research, Andlinger Center for Energy and
the Environment; Ph.D. Penn State University; water-energy-carbon nexus, water sector
decarbonization, bioenergy and bioproducts recovery, desalination, wastewater treatment,
bioremediation, carbon capture and utilization, data science, and sustainability research.
Howard A. Stone: Donald R. Dixon ’69 and Elizabeth W. Dixon Professor in Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering; Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, 1988; Fluid Dynamics and
Transport Processes; Complex Fluids; Colloidal Hydrodynamics; Microfluidics; Cellular-scale
Hydrodynamics; Hydrodynamics Related to Biofilms; Biofilm Formation and Characterization;
Drying and Transport in Natural Materials.
Jared E. Toettcher: Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology; Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 2009; Cellular Optogenetics; Cell Signaling Pathways; Biochemistry/Cell Biology;
Systems Biology; Signal Processing; Control Theory.
Claire E. White: Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Andlinger
Center for Energy and the Environment; Ph.D. University of Melbourne, 2010; Durability of Alkali-
Activated Cements; Atomic and Nanoscale Morphology of Cementitious Materials; Reaction
Kinetics of Cement Formation; Amorphous Carbonate Materials.
Martin Wühr: Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology, and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for
Integrative Genomics; Ph.D. Harvard University, 2010; Applied and computational mathematics;
bioengineering; transport phenomena.
LABORATORY SAFETY INFORMATION
Core and Design Labs
The Undergraduate Teaching Laboratories (Core Labs) support the course CBE 346, a course in
hands-on practice of engineering, including experiment work, class work associated with
introduction to laboratory safety, data analysis, process hardware and process dynamics and
development of technical communication skills. The laboratory houses experimental stations along
with permanently available instrumentation.
The Undergraduate Design Laboratory supports the course CBE 442 Design, Synthesis, and
Optimization of Chemical Processes. The A124 classroom has been specifically equipped to support
the Design Course.
To work in the laboratories it is required that all students take
the University sponsored Lab Safety course. This is included as
part of the CBE 346 course in the junior year. Students who
chose to work in departmental labs earlier must arrange to take
the Lab Safety course at one of the offerings during the
academic year.
Should any incident occur in a lab in which a student is injured,
immediately call 911 on a campus phone or 609-258-1000 on a
cell phone to alert Public Safety. In the event of any incident
that results in a possible overexposure to a chemical, regardless
of whether any signs or symptoms of exposure are noted or
whether the laboratory worker seeks medical attention, the
student should immediately contact the Department Manager
in room A215 (ext. 8-4650) and the Department Safety Officers
Professor David Graves in room G203 (EQuad) (ext. 8-3756) or
Professor Cliff Brangwynne in room 301 (Hoyt) (ext. 8-4528).
Two-dimensional small-angle x-ray scattering patterns reveal the nanostructure of two styrene-diene-styrene
triblock copolymers which have been aligned through channel die compression.
[Image courtesy of Sasha Meyers and Professor Richard A. Register]
THE REINER G. STOLL UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER FELLOWSHIP IN
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
The Fellowship
The Stoll Fellow will engage in independent research during the summer under the supervision of a
faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. The Department awards
the fellowship to one or two students each summer. The fellowship consists of a typical summer
stipend, approximately $5,850 ($650/week over 9 weeks), plus research supplies. US citizenship is
not required.
The Application
Please write a one-page narrative about your educational background and interests, and describe
what you would be interested in working on if you are selected to receive the Stoll Fellowship.
Prior to submitting your application, conversations with specific faculty members about a research
topic that you would work on should be addressed in your narrative. Submit your narrative using
SAFE. The deadline for applying is usually in mid-March.
The Process
All applications will be reviewed by the undergraduate committee. Recommendations from the
committee will be given to the Department Chair, who along with the Director of Undergraduate
Studies, will select the winner(s).
The winners will be announced by early April. The recipient of the Stoll Summer Fellowship will
work under the supervision of a faculty member in Chemical and Biological Engineering. The faculty
assignment will be determined by the committee reviewing the applications.
The Reiner G. Stoll Summer Fellowship is open to rising juniors and seniors in the Chemical and
Biological Engineering department and is sponsored by The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation,
Inc.
Nanoparticle formation and the applications for
cancer therapy and aerosol drug delivery.
[Image courtesy of Professor Robert K. Prud’homme}
MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS
Undergraduate Student Travel
For any travel that has to do with research, academic course work or extracurricular activities
require students to register the trip on the University Travel Database. Refer to
https://travel.princeton.edu/undergraduate-students/checklist/international
Undergraduate Lounge
A lounge for chemical and biological engineering undergraduates is located in A203. This lounge is a
focal point for undergraduate informal study groups (and study breaks). It is the responsibility of
the students to keep the lounge clean and in order.
Conclusion
While an attempt has been made to anticipate and answer those questions that students are likely
to ask, there are almost certainly going to be some omissions. The Undergraduate Announcement,
www.princeton.edu/ua is a good source of further information on University regulations such as
the Honor Code, scholastic requirements, the University Scholar Program, etc., which affect all
students and not just those in this Department.
Any further questions may be addressed to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Jose
L. Avalos, Hoyt Lab 101, or the Undergraduate Administrator, Julie Gerek-Sefa, Room A201,
Engineering Quadrangle.
If you have any question about our program prior to applying, or have difficulty accessing our
website, please address inquiries to: Undergraduate Studies, Department of Chemical and
Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544-5263, USA, or by fax at (609) 258-
0211. By telephone, contact the Undergraduate Administrator at (609) 258-4572, or by e-mail at
cbeug@princeton.edu.
