As part of Canada's largest engineering school and most innovative university, the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo is home to approximately 1,000 students, faculty and staff, and has thousands of alumni worldwide.
Our Department consistently ranks among the top two universities in Canada and the number one university in Ontario in Chemical Engineering according to the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities.
In addition to offering undergraduate and graduate programs in chemical engineering, the Department provides academic expertise and support to Waterloo's collaborative nanotechnology and biomedical engineering programs.
The department's collaborative research culture, engaging teaching practices and state-of-the-art facilities create a vibrant learning environment where students are empowered to solve the problems our world faces.
Learn about Professor Valerie Ward's research in biomanufacturing using biological processes to manufacture products like antibiotics or proteins for pharmaceutical applications and more.
Are you wondering what Chemical Engineering is? Check out our new animation!
Chemical Engineering Lab Tour
Join us for a tour of the Chemical Engineering undergraduate labs in the Douglas Wright Engineering Building at the University of Waterloo.
Find out more by exploring the programs, research and news stories on this site.
News
Empowering women's health: Grad student launches innovative start-up
Nanotechnology Engineering alumna CT Murphy (BASc ’23) created CELLECT, a new start-up which aims to improve access to cervical cancer and HPV screening. CELLECT's technology uses nanomaterials in menstrual products to diagnose HPV and cervical cancer using menstrual blood, potentially eliminating the need for Pap smears.
Murphy’s fourth-year design project served as inspiration for their Masters thesis under the supervision of Chemical Engineering professor Marc Aucoin. Murphy was awarded the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN)-Velocity scholarship for the project. They also received funding from Velocity’s Up Start Program and Cornerstone Program.
Shadows and Illuminations Art Exhibition in E6
For the past two years, the Department of Chemical Engineering has opened E6 as a space for students in the Fine Arts program to display their artwork. This interdisciplinary collaboration encourages the imagination to thrive and connects fine arts and engineering.
The current exhibition on display in E6 until March 15th aims to respond to the architectural design of the Chemical Engineering building. The artwork also takes into consideration the natural light that enters the second and third floors of the building.
Advancing in the cutting-edge world of materials science: Multifaceted Liquids
Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a unique technique to create the Janus structures in liquids. Chemical Engineering Professor Milad Kamkar in collaboration with the University of British Columbia leads the first research to achieve this duality with liquids.
This breakthrough can be utilized in a multitude of applications. It could be used in environmental remediation, to clean up oil spills in water or for wastewater treatment. One side could be treated with super absorbent nanomaterial to soak up the oil, while the other side might contain catalysts to degrade the pollution.