Chemical Engineering Celebrates Centennial
October 23, 2008
The Gordon A. & Mary Cain Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) celebrated its centennial year with a day and a half of festivities on October 23-24, 2008.
The celebration began with a reception and dinner on October 23 to recognize special friends of the department who have made major gift commitments to the new Chemical Engineering Building Fund. Among those honored for their generosity were Ron and Gail Cambre, Ed and Karen Schmitt and George Daniels. Special recognition was also given, posthumously, to Bob Anding, a ChE alumnus and long-time supporter of LSU ChE.The celebration continued the next day at the LSU Energy, Coast and Environment Building Rotunda. Department Chair K.T. Valsaraj opened a full-day’s program with an overview of the department’s past, present and future. Noteworthy among his remarks, Valsaraj stated the first PhD awarded at LSU was in 1935 to Gipson Carter in chemical engineering. “The Cain Chemical Engineering Department is proud of its 100 years of providing excellent teaching, research and service activities that have contributed to the economy of the state of Louisiana,” said Valsaraj. “The faculty, staff and students of this department look forward to continuing our proud tradition into the future.”
The academic discipline of chemical engineering is extremely important to the State of Louisiana. It is the largest industry within the state and contributes significantly to the economy in terms of jobs and tax revenues. The chemicals and chemical products manufactured here form a substantial base for the regional as well as the national economy. Through LSU ChE, students receive the educational training that distinguishes them in their later careers in Louisiana and across the globe.Supriya Jindal, a chemical engineer and wife of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, paid a special visit for the event. During her remarks, she stated, “This is a great day for Chemical Engineering at LSU: congratulations on celebrating 100 years of significant accomplishments. I am proud of the immense dedication and determination of Chemical Engineering at LSU.”
The commemoration event featured a host of distinguished academic and industrial leaders who took time from their busy schedules to speak and celebrate the centennial, including LSU ChE alumni Ronald Cambre (BS, 1960), retired CEO of Newmont Mining and chair of the ChE Campaign Steering Committee, and Sharon Cole (BS, 1981), Louisiana Operations Site Director of Dow Chemical Company.LSU Chancellor Michael V. Martin also took the podium to discuss the future direction of the University noting that “LSU is an institution looking to be engaged in the lives of all citizens, on and off campus, to solve real problems for real people.”
LSU ChE developed from the Audubon Sugar School, which officially became part of the University in 1897. The program was established in 1908, with the first bachelor’s degrees awarded in 1913. The department was at first closely associated with the chemistry department. In 1937 it was established as a separate department in the College of Engineering, by which time the program was already a thriving operation catering to the needs of the local chemical industry. It was the first in the state, and one of the first in the south, to be accredited by the Engineer's Council for Professional Development, or ECPD. Initial ECPD accreditation was granted in 1939 shortly after the national level accreditation of engineering programs was started. The graduate program was initiated around 1908, and the first PhD granted by the University was in chemical engineering in 1935.
Noteworthy achievements of the department include:- Consistently ranking among the top chemical engineering departments in the nation in sponsored research, graduate enrollment and degrees.
- Research activity currently involves 34 externally funded research projects (more than $7.5 million).
- Placement of more than 50 LSU graduates in faculty positions around the world.
- Four graduates have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
- Five current members of the faculty have been elected Fellows of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; two hold NSF CAREER awards.
Further, the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering has made great progress in raising funds to construct a new, state-of-the-art building. Plans call for an approximate 100,000 square foot structure that will be located between Patrick F. Taylor Hall (formerly CEBA) and South Stadium Drive. The building will feature a 4,200 square foot process control laboratory, research laboratories specifically designed for traditional disciplines and emerging funds and new offices to accommodate faculty and graduate students. More than $8 million has been raised to date; matching funds will be sought from the State of Louisiana once the targeted goal of $10 million is reached. For more information on the building fund, contact Harriett Pooler at 225-578-8738.
With its proud past of the last 100 years, the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering is poised to begin its new chapter in LSU and Louisiana history. Given the department’s track record, great things are bound to happen for future generations of chemical engineering students who, in turn, will continue to have a positive and lasting impact on our society—here at home and abroad.Article by Mimi LaValle, LSU College of Engineering, 225-578-5706, mlavall@lsu.edu
