Contact Information
Dr. Todd Menkhaus
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
(605) 394-2422 Fax: (605) 394-1232 Dept: (605) 394-2421
E-mail: Todd.Menkhaus@sdsmt.edu
http://www.sdsmt.edu/CBE/
Faculty
Professors Bang, Dixon, Puszynski, Salem and Winter; Associate Professors Benjamin, Gilcrease, Menkhaus (CBE Graduate Program Coordinator), Sani, and Shende; Assistant Professors Groven and Hadley.
CBE Ph.D. Program Advisory Council
Professors Bang, Dixon, Menkhaus (Program Coordinator) and Winter; Associate Professor Gilcrease and Benjamin; Assistant Professor Groven.
Chemical and Biological Engineering
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) offers, in addition to B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering, a Ph.D. degree in chemical and biological engineering. The Ph.D. program provides the chemical and biological engineering Ph.D. graduate a core educational experience in transport phenomena, chemical kinetics, biochemical engineering, chemical thermodynamics, and biotechnology. This knowledge base, along with key electives, provides graduate students the training to participate in biochemical and petrochemical processing, bio-based energy technologies, including biomass and biofuels; catalysis; bio-based and bio-compatible materials; bioremediation; emerging energy technologies; synthesis and functionalization of nanomaterials, and processing of polymers and composite materials. These areas are aligned with the expertise of our faculty members. The current research interest of the faculty can be found on the departmental website http://www.sdsmt.edu/CBE/. The modern Chemical and Biological Engineering and Chemistry (CBEC) building houses the CBE research laboratories.
The State of South Dakota is recognized as a leader and major producer of ethanol from starch in the United States. Hence the State of South Dakota is well positioned to play an important role in development of new bio-based technologies and value-added agricultural products. This Ph.D. program directly supports the National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (NSF I/UCRC) for BioEnergy Research and Development (CBeRD). This unique national center is focused on bio-based energy and chemical feedstocks, is comprised of four universities, including the SDSM&T, North Carolina State University, State University of New York - Stony Brook, University of Hawaii, and more than 20 industries and state and federal laboratories. Students participating in CBeRD I/UCRC Center research are working on projects of current and immediate interest to the industrial sponsors. Students also have the opportunity to participate in more fundamental research being pursued through the 2010 Center for Bioprocessing Research and Development (CBRD) at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and the South Dakota State University. The CBRD center focus is to develop the fundamental understanding and technologies to convert lignocellulose to fuels and key building block chemicals. The research foci of these two research centers - pretreatment, conversion, extremophiles, separations, and process simulation and economic analysis - rely on the fundamental underpinnings taught in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Ph.D. program.
The Ph.D. program is also a strong supporter of State-focused areas in materials and advanced manufacturing including advanced materials, polymers, composites, and nanotechnology. The Composites and Polymer Engineering Laboratory (CAPE) is a key resource utilized by our students http://cape.sdsmt.edu/. The CBE research laboratories along with CAPE, CBeRD, and CBRD provide CBE Ph.D. students a wealth of modern resources to participate in cutting-edge research funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the Department of Agriculture, NASA, and industrial collaborators.
The Ph.D. Program in chemical and biological engineering is administered by a graduate Program Coordinator and Program Advisory Council consisting of appointed faculty members actively involved in the program. The Program Advisory Council is responsible for the curriculum and program policies.
