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The Texas A&M Chemical Engineering Department has historically maintained a strong link with industry through its education and research programs that are practical and immediately useful. The departmental degree programs, short courses and research centers are focal points for this effort.
Lectures and Symposia
The department provides various lectures and symposia that allows industrial practitioners to participate in discussions of the issues facing the process industries. These symposia include:
The Symposium on Instrumentation for the Process Industries has been an annual event since the 1940s! Industrial volunteers formulate the program, and provide the majority of the papers.
The Lindsay Lecture Series brings world-famous researchers from academia and industry to the department where they discuss cutting-edge topics of interest to chemical engineers.
The annual symposium sponsored by the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center has become a “must-attend” event for those concerned with chemical process safety in academia, government, and industry.
Industry-funded projects
Industrial firms frequently fund research projects of mutual interest within the department. These projects provide industry with solutions to immediate problems and allow the department to continue providing world-class graduates. Read more about our service to industry.
Councils
The department has an Industrial Advisory Council. The members review our curricula (both graduate and undergraduate) and recommend actions. They also interview students to ascertain problems that the students might be reluctant to bring to faculty members. The Council also serves as a voice for the department to the university on such occasions as the members feel they can have an impact.
In addition to the Advisory Council, we have a Development Council. Members of this body assist the department in identifying and approaching potential donors. Like all universities, funding for Texas A&M lags need considerably, and this activity can easily mark the difference between successful and unsuccessful departments.
Curriculum reform
Finally, industry has the opportunity to support departmental efforts by participating in curriculum reform issues to ensure they include industrial concerns.
