Department of

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Undergraduate Handbook

Academic Year 2024-2025

Revised: November 2024
 Bioengineering
Global Health and
Minor
Health Policy Minor

Bioengineering &
Biotechnology
Finance Sustainable Environmental
Certificate Energy Minor Studies Minor
Entrepreneurship
Certificate

Energy &
Entrepreneurship
Environmental
& Management
Technology

The
Chemical and
Biological
Engineering
Materials
Science Minor Major Applied Math
Certificate

Materials & Optimization,

Product Dynamics &
Engineering Information
Engineering
Physics Technology
Certificate

Science &
Engineering for
New
Technologies
 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

1
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
Class of 2019 – Class of 2024
Graduate School in Engineering 33.9%
Medical School 2.3%
Law School 1.2%
Total Higher Ed (Professional) 37.4%
Chemical Industry 7.6%
Pharmaceutical/Healthcare Industry 14.6%
Electronics Industry/ Information Technology 2.3%
Food and Personal Products 0.6%
Oil/Gas Industry 1.8%
Start-up Companies 0.6%
Total Technical Industry 27.5%
Consulting and Finance 12.9%
Business school, arts & entertainment, sports industry, other business industries 3.5%
Total non-engineering business 16.4%
Public Service/Teaching/Non-Profit 2.9%
Undecided/Unknown at time of survey (graduation) 15.8%

2
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.

**The number of free electives will vary depending on course selection where students can double count
courses, as well as AP credit received.

3
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
*Students with one unit of AP chemistry credit must take CHM 215.

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.

4
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, or 1 unit AP Chemistry and CHM 215

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
5
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 Process and Energy Systems Design
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.

6
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.

7
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 Engineering

Requirements Topic Content
Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Track 1
BNG 407/ Biotech Innovation, Organization &
MOL 407 Entrepreneurship
CBE 262/ EGR ET
Fundamentals of Bioengineering
263
CBE 411/ ET
Antibiotics: From Cradle to Grave MAT 104 and MOL 214
MOL 411
CBE 419 Enzymes MOL 214 ET
CBE 433/ MSE Introduction to the Mechanics and
424 Dynamics of Soft Living Matter ET
CBE 438/ Biomolecular Engineering
MOL 438 ET
CBE 439 Quantitative Physiology ET
CBE 440 The Physical Basis of Human Disease ET
CBE 447 Metabolic Engineering MOL 214 ET
CEE 325/ CBE Environmental Biotechnology ET
325/ ENE
325/ BNG 325
CHM 440/ Drug Discovery in the Genomics Era 2 terms of organic
GHP 440 chemistry
ECE 451/ BNG Bioelectronics and Biosensors ET
451
ECE 452 Biomedical Imaging
EEB 309 Evolutionary Biology EEB 211 and MOL 214

1
EEB 320/ MOL Molecular Evolutionary Genetics MOL 214 or any upper
330 level MOL course
EEB 325 Mathematical Modeling in Biology &
Enrollment by application
Medicine
EEB 327/ MOL Immune Systems: From Molecules to
EEB 211 and MOL 214
327 Populations
EEB 330 Programming for Biology ET
ENE 318/ CBE Fundamentals of Biofuels
318 ET
GEO 417 Environmental Microbiology
GEO 428 Biological Oceanography College level Bio, CHM,
PHY
ISC 326/ EEB Human Genomics: The Past, Present EEB 211 or MOL 214 or
326/ MOL 326 and Future of the Human Genome COS 126 or ISC 231/2
MAE 344/ Biomechanics and Biomaterials: From
MAT 103/4, PHY103/4
MSE 364 Cells to Organisms ET
MOL 340 Molecular and Cellular Immunology MOL 214
MOL 342 Genetics MOL 214
MOL 345/ Biochemistry MOL 214 and CHM
CHM 345 304/304B
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/ Biotechnology ET
MOL 342 or MOL 345
CBE 434
MOL 434 Macromolecular Structure and MOL 345 or permission
Mechanisms in Disease from instructor
MOL 435 Pathogenesis and Bacterial Diversity MOL 342 or permission
from instructor
MOL 448/ Chemistry, Structure, and Structure
CHM 448 Functions of Nucleic Acids
MOL 457 Computational Aspect of Molecular One 300-level MOL, CHM
Biology 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 Fundamentals of Neuroscience
258
NEU 202/ PSY Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
NEU 258/PSY 258
259
NEU 408/ Cellular and Systems Neuroscience
MOL 214, PSY 258, MAT
MOL 408/ PSY
103, PHY 104
404
NEU 437/ MOL Computational Neuroscience MOL 410 or basic linear
437/ PSY 437 algebra, probability, MAE
305

2
NEU 200/ PSY Functional Neuroanatomy
200
QCB 455/ COS Introduction to Genomics and
455/ MOL 455 Computational Molecular Biology

Entrepreneurship and Management, Track 2

BNG 407/ MOL Biotech Innovation, Organization &
407 Entrepreneurship
CBE 260/ EGR Ethics and Technology: Engineering in ET
260 the Real World
CEE 334/ SPI Global Environmental Issues ET
AP chemistry, CHM 201, or
452/ ENV 334/
permission of instructor
ENE 334
CEE 460 Risk Assessment and Management ORF 245, MAT 202 ET
CHV 321/ ENV Ethical and Scientific Issues in
321/ SPI 371 Environmental Policy
CHV 331/ SPI Ethics and Public Health
372
COS 432/ ECE Information Security ET
COS 217, 226
432
ECO 310 Microeconomic Theory: A ECO 100 & MAT 200 or
Mathematical Approach 201
ECO 311 Macroeconomics: A Mathematical ECO 100 & ECO 101 &
Approach MAT 200 or MAT 201
EGR 491/ ORF High-Tech Entrepreneurship
491
EGR 494 Leadership Development for Business
EGR 495 Special Topics in Entrepreneurship
EGR 497 Entrepreneurial Leadership
GEO 366/ ENV Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation,
MAT 101/2, CHM 201/2
339/ SPI 451/ Policy
or PHY 101/2, GEO 202
ENE 366
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 353/ MAE Science and Global Security: From ET
353 Nuclear Weapons to Cyberwarfare and
Artificial Intelligence
SPI 373/ CHV Welfare, Economics and Climate
373 Change Mitigation Policy Not open to first years

3
 Energy and Environmental Technology, Track 3
AST 309/ MAE Science and Technology of Nuclear PHY 101-102, 103-104, 107- ET
309/ PHY 309 Energy: Fission and Fusion 109, MAT 201 or 203, EGR
191-194
CBE 218/ ENE The Complexities of the Energy ET
218 Transition
CBE 421/ CHM Green and Catalytic Chemistry ET
CHM 301
421
CBE 426/ MSE Light, Catalyst, (Re)action! Photocatalysis ET
426 for Sustainable Chemistry
CBE 429 Electrochemical Fundamentals ET
CEE 207/ ENV Introduction to Environmental CHM 201 or MSE 104 ET
207 Engineering
CEE 304/ ENE Environmental Engineering and Energy ET
CHM 201 and MAT 104
304/ ENV 300
CEE 306 Hydrology: Water and Climate MAT 201 (concurrent) ET
CEE 308 Environmental Engineering Laboratory CEE 303/301 ET
CEE 311/ CHM Global Air Pollution CEE 303/301 or CHM ET
311/ GEO 311 303/304
CEE 325/ CBE Environmental Biotechnology ET
325/ ENE 325/
BNG 325
CEE 471 Introduction to Water Pollution ET
Technology
CEE 474/ ENV Special Topics in CEE- Design and ET
474 Construction of Environmental Sensors
CEE 477/ ENE Engineering Design for Sustainable ET
CEE 303/301 or equivalent
477 Development
ENE 267/ MSE Materials for Energy Technologies and
287/ CEE 267 Efficiency
ENE 318/ CBE Fundamentals of Biofuels ET
318
ENE 321/ CEE Resource Recovery for a Circular
321/ ENV 371 Economy
ENE 410/ CBE Optimization for the Design and MAT 202 and MAE 305 or ET
410/ MAE 410 Analysis of Energy Systems equivalent courses
ENE 414 Renewable Energy Systems MAE 228 or equivalent ET
ENE 431 Solar Energy Conversion Completed first year ET
science or EGR courses. Jr
& Sr only
ENV 210A Scientific Foundations of the ENV 210A, ENV 210B are
Environmental Nexus (no lab-SEN) considered equivalent
courses and cannot be
taken multiple times for
credit.
4
ENV 210B Scientific Foundations of the
Environmental Nexus (with lab-SEL)
ENV 305 Topics in Environmental Studies –
Hormonally Active Pollutants
GEO 360/ ENV Geochemistry of the Human
CHM 201 or AP chemistry
356 Environment
GEO 361/ ENV Earth’s Atmosphere MAT 201, PHY 104 or ET
361/ CEE 360 equivalent
GEO 363/ CHM Environmental Geochemistry:
CHM 201 or AP chemistry
331/ ENV 331 Chemistry of the Natural Systems
GEO 366/ Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation, MAT 101/2, and CHM
ENV 339/ SPI Policy 201/2 or PHY 101/2, GEO
451/ ENE 366 202
GEO 417/ CEE Environmental Microbiology ET
417/ EEB 419
GEO 418 Environmental Aqueous Geochemistry One year of CHM, CHM
306 recommended
GEO 423/ CEE Dynamic Meteorology ET
(1) 200-level math course
423
GEO 424/ CEE Introductory Seismology ET
PHY 104 and MAE 305
424/ ENE 425
GEO 470/ CHM Environmental Chemistry of Soils
GEO 331 or any CHM course
470
MAE 328/ Energy for a Greenhouse-Constrained ET
EGR 328/ ENV World MAE 221, MAE 222
328
MAE 424/ Energy Storage Systems ET
First year PHY & CHM
ENE 424
MAE 427 Energy Conversion and the ET
Environment: Transportation MAE 221, MAE 222
Applications

Materials and Product Engineering, Track 4

CBE 415/ ET
CHM 415/ Polymers CHM 301/303
MSE 425
CBE 421/ Green and Catalytic Chemistry ET
CHM 301
CHM 421
CBE 422/ MSE Molecular Modeling Methods ET
COS 126 and MAE 305
422
CBE 426/ MSE Light, Catalyst, (Re)action! ET
426 Photocatalysis for Sustainable
Chemistry
CBE 430/ Squishy Engineering: Using Soft ET
MAE 430/ Materials to Solve Hard Problems
MSE 430

5
CBE 433/ MSE Introduction to the Mechanics and ET
424 Dynamics of Soft Living Matter
CBE 512 Machine Learning in Chemical Science ET
and Engineering
CEE 364/ ARC Materials in Civil Engineering ET
364
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 Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health ET
455/ and the Environment
MAE 455/
MSE 455
ECE 441/ ENE Solid State Physics I ELE 342 or PHY 208 and
441 305 or equiv.
ECE 449/ MSE Micro-Nanofabrication and Thin-Film ET
449 Processing
GEO 378 Mineralogy
GEO 421/ A Practical Guide to Atomistic Modeling ET
MSE 421
MAE 324/ Structure and Properties of Materials ET
MAE 221, CEE 205
MSE 324
MSE 301 Materials Science and Engineering ET
MSE 302 Laboratory Techniques in Materials ET
MSE 301
Science and Engineering
MSE 505 Characterization of Materials

Optimization, Dynamics, and Information Technology, Track 5

CBE 422/ MSE Molecular Modeling Methods ET
COS 126 and MAE 305
422
CBE 449/ Numerical and Monte Carlo Methods in ET
MAE 449/ CEE Engineering and Scientific Computing
449
COS 217 Introduction to Programming Systems COS 126 ET
COS 226 Algorithms and Data Structures COS 126 ET
COS 240 Reasoning about Computation COS 126 and COS 226 ET
COS 302/ SML Mathematics for Numerical Computing
COS 126 and CMAT 202
305 / ECE 305 and Machine Learning
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 ET
Applications
6
EEB 330 Programming for Biology
EEB 355/ MOL Introduction to Statistics for Biology
355
ENE 410/ CBE Optimization for the Design and MAT 202 and MAE 305 or ET
410/ MAE 410 Analysis of Energy Systems equivalent courses
MAE 433 Automatic Control Systems ET
MAE 434 Modern Control ET
ORF 245/ EGR Fundamentals of Engineering Statistics
245
ORF 307 Optimization MAT 202 ET
ORF 309/ EGR Probability and Stochastic Systems
MAT 201/203/217
309/ MAT 280
ORF 311 Stochastic Optimization and Machine
ORF 307 or MAT 305
Learning in Finance
ORF 363/ COS Computing and Optimization for the MAT 201/202 or MAT
323 Physical and Social Sciences 203/204
ORF 409 Intro to Monte Carlo Simulation ORF 245, 309
ORF 411/ ECE Sequential Decision Analytics and ET
ORF 307, 309, 245
411 Modeling
QCB 455/ Intro to Genomics and Computational ET
MOL 455/ Molecular Biology
COS 455
SML 201 Introduction to Data Science
SML 305/ECE Mathematics for Numerical Computing
COS126 and MAT 202
305/COS 302 and Machine Learning
SPI 353/ MAE Science and Global Security: From
353 Nuclear Weapons to Cyber Warfare

Science and Engineering for New Technologies, Track 6

Transport Phenomena
MAE 306/ Mathematics in Engineering II
MAE 305 or MAT 301
MAT 392
MAE 336 Viscous Flows MAE 221, 222, and 224 ET
MAE 423/ Heat Transfer ET
MAE 221 and 222
ENE 423
Chemical Technology
CBE 421/ CHM Green and Catalytic Chemistry ET
CHM 301
421
CBE 426/ MSE Light, Catalyst, (Re)action! ET
426 Photocatalysis for Sustainable
Chemistry
CBE 429 Electrochemical Fundamentals ET

7
CBE 449/ Numerical and Monte Carlo Methods in ET
MAE 449/ CEE Engineering and Scientific Computing
449
CHM 302 Organic Chemistry II with Biological
CHM 301
Emphasis
CHM 304 Organic Chemistry II: Foundations of
CHM 301
Chemical Reactivity and Synthesis
CHM 305 The Quantum World CHM 202 or 215, MAT 102
or 104, PHY 101
CHM 306 Physical Chemistry: Chemical CHM 201/202 (or 207),
Thermodynamics and Kinetics 204/215, MAT 104, PHY
101/102/103/104
CHM 403 Advanced Biochemistry 301 and 302 (or 304)
CHM 405 Advanced Physical Chemistry: Quantum CHM 202 or 215, MAT 201,
Mechanics 202, PHY 103
CHM 406 Advanced Physical Chemistry: Chemical CHM 202, 215 or CBE 342,
Dynamics and Thermodynamics MAT 201
CHM 407 Inorganic Chemistry: Structure and CHM 201/202, 207/208,
Bonding 215
CHM 408 Inorganic Chemistry: Reactions and Juniors and Seniors only
Mechanisms
Engineering Physics
AST 309/ MAE The Science of Fission and Fusion
309/ PHY Energy
309/ ENE 309
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
PHY 312 Experimental Physics
Electronic Materials Processing
ECE 206/ COS Contemporary Logic Design ET
306
ECE 308 Electronic and Photonic Devices MAT 103-104 and PHY ET
103-104
ECE 341 Solid State Devices ELE 208 ET
ECE 342 Principles of Quantum Engineering PHY 103 and 104 ET
ECE 441/ ENE Solid State Physics I ELE 342 or PHY 208 and
441 PHY 305
ECE 451/ BNG Bioelectronics and Biosensors ET
451

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 MAT 103 Calculus MAT 104 Calculus
YEAR PHY 103 Physics PHY 104 Physics
CHM 201 Chemistry CHM 202 Chemistry
HSS Humanities/Social Science Computer Requirement
Writing Requirement
SOPHOMORE MAT 201 Multivariable Calculus CBE 246 Thermodynamics
YEAR CBE 245 An Introduction to Chemical and MOL 214 Molecular Biology
Biochemical Engineering Principles
CHM 301 Organic Chemistry MAE 305 Differential Equations
MAT 202 Linear Algebra Program Elective
HSS Humanities/Social Science HSS Humanities/Social Science
JUNIOR CBE 250 Separations in Chemical CBE 346 Chemical and Biological
YEAR Engineering and Biotechnology Engineering Laboratory
CBE 341 Mass, Momentum, Energy CBE 441 Chemical Reaction Engineering
Transport
Program Elective Program Elective
Program Elective HSS Humanities/Social Science
HSS Humanities/Social Science
SENIOR CBE 442 Process and Energy Systems CBE 454 Senior Thesis
YEAR Design
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.

10
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
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. This option of taking a one-semester thesis requires approval from the Director of Undergraduate
Studies. 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).

2
CERTIFICATE AND MINOR PROGRAMS
Certificate and minor programs may be pursued in parallel with one of the departmental concentrations
through appropriate course selections. Certificates and minors are recognition of proficiency in a sub-
discipline. The CBE curriculum is organized to permit the program electives to satisfy some of the
certificate/minor 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

Engineering Biology Materials Science

(29 Students) (19 students)
Graduate School 18% Graduate School 38%
Industry 19% Industry 29%
Other 32% Other 24%
Medical School 15% Medical School 5%
Undecided 13% Undecided 5%

Many departments at the University offer minor and certificate programs. Musical Performance,
Creative Writing, Theater and Dance, Language and Culture, and Finance are just a sample of the
programs our current undergraduates are pursuing.

3
 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.

4
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

5
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 H2O2 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
Davidson Impact of Crosslinking Density on Liquid Crystal Elastomer Properties
Graves Advancing plasma-assisted catalysis for ammonia synthesis through non-
perturbative electric field characterization and investigation of surface nickel
nitride formation
Koel Photochemistry at modified hematite (α-Fe2O3) surfaces for production of
renewable hydrogen
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
Lusardi Capture of CO2 with Cation-exchanged Boron Zeolites
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 Percentage of Percentage of
Graduates Graduates Graduates
28% 18% 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.

Awards sponsored by The Ernest F. Johnson Foundation

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".

The Ernest F. Johnson Outstanding Senior Thesis Award, is awarded to a senior in the Department
for excellence in senior thesis research

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.
https://ua.princeton.edu/

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 Professor Emeritus

Ilhan 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 Handshake for opportunities.
FACULTY AND INSTRUCTORS
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, and Director of the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute;

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: Associate 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.

Emily C. Davidson: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 2016. Complex
materials and processing; energy and the environment.

Dimitrios Fraggedakis: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2021.

Complex materials and processing, energy and environment, surface science and catalysis, theory
and computation.

David B. Graves: Professor; 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.

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.

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.

Andrew S. Rosen: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. Northwestern University, 2021. Complex materials
and processing, energy and environment, surface science and catalysis, theory and computation.

Michele L. Sarazen: Assistant Professor; Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 2016. Energy and
environment, Surface science and catalysis, theory and computation.

C. Morris Smith: Lecturer; Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986. Complex materials
and processing, energy and environment.

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.

Jean W. Tom: Professor of the Practice; Ph.D. Princeton University, 1993. Technical leadership,
pharmaceutical process development.

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
Josh Atkinson: Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Omenn-Darling
Bioengineering Institute; Ph.D. Rice University, 2019; Natural and Engineered Clay Barriers,
Geologic Carbon Sequestration, Kinetic Isotope Effects at Water Surfaces.

Ian C. Bourg: Associate 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: Associate 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. Donia: Associate Professor of Molecular Biology; Ph.D. University of Utah, 2010;
Small-molecule-mediated interactions in complex microbial communities.

Kelsey B. Hatzell: Associate 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: Associate 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.

Stanislav Y. Shvartsman: Professor of Molecular Biology and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for
Integrative Genomics; Ph.D. Princeton University, 1999. Reaction, transport and pattern
formation in biological systems; dynamics and control of cell communication networks.

Howard A. Stone: Neil A. Omenn ’68 University Professor of 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: Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and the Omenn-Darling

Bioengineering Institute; Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009; Cellular
Optogenetics; Cell Signaling Pathways; Biochemistry/Cell Biology; Systems Biology; Signal
Processing; Control Theory.

Claire E. White: 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 H. Wühr: Associate 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 Process and Energy Systems
Design. 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 Laboratory Safety training. This
training that includes the online modules and the in-person
session must be completed prior to the start 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-February.

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 Emeritus 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

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 questions 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 [email protected].