Welcome to
the McKetta Department of
Chemical Engineering

#5

Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Program

$2.5M

Awarded in Scholarships

#8

Graduate Chemical Engineering Program

Spotlights

Explore more at the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering

Research Website

Educational Qualifications

Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Cornell University (1987)
M.S., Chemical Engineering, Cornell University (1983)
B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), England (1981)

Courses Taught

CHE 339 Introduction to Biochemical Engineering

Research

1. The discovery, early development and preclinical validation of protein therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, inborn errors of metabolism disorders and other diseases. Our lab has invented and played a key role in the early development of one FDA approved therapeutic protein and four proteins that are currently in clinical trials

2. Molecular level understanding of human antibody immunity. We have developed technologies for determining the identity (sequence), relative abundance and function of the ensemble of circulating antibodies that are elicited as a result of infection, vaccination or in disease states such as cancer and autoimmunity. The application of these technologies is providing important insights that inform vaccine design and aid in the discovery of very potent human therapeutic antibodies.

3. Engineering of the Fc domain of therapeutic antibodies to develop, “second generation” improved therapeutics and to expand our understanding of how antibodies interact with other components of the immune system to help eradicate disease-causing cells.

Awards & Honors

  • William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature, American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE), 2019
  • National Academy of Inventors, 2015
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), 2015
  • Inventor of the Year, University of Texas at Austin, 2014
  • Named as one of “Top 20 Translational Researchers,” by Nature Biotechnology, 2014
  • Elected to National Academy of Medicine (NAM), 2011
  • Named as one of “100 Eminent Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era,” American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE), 2008
  • National Academy of Engineering (NAE), 2005
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2004
  • American Academy of Microbiology, 2004
  • Professional Progress Award for Outstanding Progress in Chemical Engineering, American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE), 2003
  • Marvin J. Johnson Award in Microbial and Biochemical Technology, American Chemical Society (ACS), 2003
  • American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), 1996
  • Presidential Young Investigator Award, National Science Foundation, 1987

Selected Publications 

 

Emerson partnership

Emerson Partnership Bolsters UT Expertise in Semiconductors and AI

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SC27 Antibody

Newly Discovered Antibody Protects Against All COVID-19 Variants

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Research Areas

  • Advanced Materials, Polymers & Nanoengineering Advanced Materials, Polymers & Nanoengineering

    Design and synthesis of inorganic and polymeric materials at the molecular level to achieve desirable properties for a wide range of applications

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  • Bioengineering Bioengineering

    Applying chemical engineering principles for the development of biochemical processes and biomedical applications

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  • Energy Energy

    The development of photovoltaics, catalysts for fuels from sunlight, and electrical energy generation and storage systems engineering for energy efficiency

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  • Environmental Engineering Environmental Engineering

    Programs to understand the fundamental science and engineering of air and water pollution, and to develop data for informed policy decisions. Process development for CO2 capture and sequestration

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  • Process Engineering Process Engineering

    Design, modeling, optimization, and control of petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and microelectronic processes

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  • Theory & Simulation Theory & Simulation

    The development and application of multiscale models and high performance computational simulations spanning atomic to continuum time and length scales

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News

Not All Superheroes Wear Capes, Some Wear Lab Coats

National Superhero Day, celebrated April 28th, honors heroes—real and fictional—who inspire others by making the world a better place.

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Blue Hydrogen the focus of a Multi-University Student Design Competition

A collage of four hydrogen images with the text, Blue Hydrogen Student Design Competition.

Fourth-year McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering students take on a capstone project in CHE 473K, known simply as “Plant."

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Smoothing Over Rough Edges in Batteries

Dr. Zheng works with researchers in the Crystalline Materials for Energy & Sustainability (CMES) lab.

Texas Engineers have discovered a new phenomenon in modern batteries, one that could be used to improve their life cycles.

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New Research Boosts Future Whooping Cough Vaccines

Strain of Bordatello_Whooping Cough

Whooping cough, or pertussis–once a leading cause of death for children in the U.S. and worldwide before the introduction of vaccines in the 1940s–has made a troubling comeback in recent years as vaccine coverage declined after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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