The National Academies Press

Currently Skimming:

Appendix C: Summary of Results of the Chemical Engineering Community Questionnaire
Pages 318-338

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.

From page 318... ... As an alternative, in spring 2021 the committee distributed a questionnaire to members of the chemical engineering community to gather broad input on challenges and opportunities for the discipline, as well as key needs in education and training. The web link to the online questionnaire was distributed via email to subscribers to the mailing list for the National Academies' Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST) Read the entire page →
From page 319... ... Appendix C 319  Bio/Biochemical engineering – 2  Biomolecular engineering – 2  Environmentally friendly materials (i.e., biodegradable end products) – 2  Modeling/Simulations – 2  Multiscale modeling in biological systems – 2  Nanotechnology – 2  Plastics alternatives – 2  Carbon, capture, utilization, storage – 1  Chemical technology – 1  Cosmetics – 1  Educational technology, training –1  Entropy vs enthalpy-controlled systems – 1  Global engineering – 1  Green materials – 1  Manufacturing of complex, non Newtonian fluids - 1  Membrane science – 1  Reaction engineering - 1  Recycling plastics and critical materials – 1  Research and development – 1  Water resources management – 1 Read the entire page →
From page 320... ...  Energy/Renewable energy (its  Health care/testing for public availability & processes) – 11 health – 2  Green/environmental  Rheology studies – 2 engineering & sustainability –  Automation – 1 8  Biochemistry/Biochemical  Catalysis – 6 engineering – 1  Electrochemistry/Batteries/  Bio-defense – 1 Electronic materials – 5  Bioprocess engineering – 1  Materials  Carbon capture – 1 science/processing/discovery/  Chemical technology – 1 engineering – 5  Cost-effective biodegradable  Biotechnology/Biopharmaceuti end products – 1 cals – 4  Food waste/loss – 1  Circular economy/LCA  Hydrogen economy – 1 (recycling plastics/products) Read the entire page →
From page 321... ... 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030, net zero by 2050 Low cost and scalable technology for carbon capture and storage, point source and direct air; Novel tech for low emission fuels for hard to decarbonize sectors, biofuels and hydrogen; Scalable and affordable negative emission biomass based technologies Sustainability, carbon capture, circular economy Circular Economy We are targeting to engage in circular The major barrier is the know-how to engage economy. Read the entire page →
From page 322... ... Biopharmaceutical Processes Move biopharmaceutical process Individuals who control the funding are trial development from being largely trial-and- and-error experimentalists and have a vested error experimentation to becoming a interest in maximizing the research funding to systematic technology based on mechanistic their own approach and activities models, data analytics, and process control Powerful vested interests want to continue to Biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes have the research funding go overwhelmingly that have the potential to replace the current into the existing established processes rather processes while having major increases in than to competing processes. Another barrier is quality, development time, and/or cost a strong resistance to any new technology Connecting industry to academia in a robust, Things that have kept the groups apart over the respectful, and collaborative manner; years -- including elitism, skeptical colleagues, connecting the various engineering and seemingly separate goals. Read the entire page →
From page 323... ... Appendix C 323 Breaking silos and creating partnerships to address grand challenges Lost-cost biodegradable products Materials de novo synthesis, analysis, then Shareholder short-term optimization in delivery to systems-level in context of industry, see-sawing values for federal specific applications research grants Fundamental understanding of Absence of adequate tools for atomic-level physicochemical properties of catalysts and images of catalyst structure and composition electrocatalysts relationship with activity under working conditions, multiscale and selectivity simulation of performance of electrochemical systems Sustaining and expanding manufacturing Competing with off-shore sites that do not capability in the United States have the same labor and environmental requirements and more government subsidies and indirect government involvement Innovative discoveries representing future Movement away from curiosity-driven directions of technology research and tightening of funding with a focus on "deliverables" Make oil and gas space more attractive to Make it greener with suitable applications for consumers CO2 emissions Development based on green chemistry new processes that account their environmental impact Good teaching schools for young chemical engineers Read the entire page →
From page 324... ... Societal relevance Barrier Decarbonization, GHG Emission Reduction, Reducing Climate Change Decarbonization of the global economy by Lack of political consensus 2050 Huge fossil fuel infrastructure makes it hard Zero-carbon technology to sustain humanity; to scale renewable energy practically and energy storage economically Meeting the growing energy needs for the Science-based, technology-neutral policy that world as economies prosper while mitigating incentivizes all relevant technologies to meet environmental impact including emissions the dual challenge; ecosystems that promote partnerships and collaborations; skills and Mitigating the impacts of climate change competencies for novel process development and scale-up Suitable regulatory policies Improve Human Health & Affordable Health Care Physiological complexity Human health (antibiotic-resistant infectious disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc.) Need to understand and develop cheap, simple quality control to ensure quality Well-controlled cell-based therapeutics could production of cells that are specific to patients reshape how we treat disease to make it scalable Improved biopharmaceutical manufacturing Acquisition of funding. Read the entire page →
From page 325... ... This needs industrial interaction, should be encouraged through establishment and generous support of programs like NSF GOALI Catalytic upgrading of bioplatform molecules Processes are not competitive, but regulations are pulling to phase out use of oil and even natural gas Food engineering and sustainable technologies -- innovated food technologies geared toward maternal and child health for local and global development supporting UNSDGs 2&17 Reducing water use across industries Unit ops and processes in water are 100 years or older with little innovation. Need to rethink priorities at national education level to revitalize critical thinking and research in water use and unit operations/processes Ensure a better future Changing long established practices and adopting new approaches and technologies Safe, efficient, environmentally sound petrochemicals production Read the entire page →
From page 326... ... Necessary for rather than lowering standards national security and not rely on outside sources excessively for strategic materials and capabilities Economic, social, food, and water systems Barriers are political are going to be disrupted by climate change if goals are not met Isolation of industrial scientist and engineers reduces the connection between academic knowledge and advances from industry knowledge and practice; industrial scientists are not able to participate in meaningful research projects and meetings, creating among other things, echo chamber for academics Plastics manufacturing, creating low-cost products that will be applied to food preservation and health security Oil and gas space is getting a lot of negative More consumer friendly public relation publicity, but it provides a cheap and reliable pointers so that society as a whole realizes the source of energy importance of oil and gas energy space. Also challenge to mitigate CO2 emissions and find suitable applications/conversion technologies for CO2 To improve the processes and making them New mentality more friendly toward the environment. Read the entire page →
From page 327... ... New AI and machine learning tools need data for training -- where are students going to learn it? Developing biopharmaceutical processes based only on trial and-error experimentation is being rotated out in the last 10 years in industry, as new capabilities emerge in process data analytics and machine learning, mechanistical modeling, and process control. Read the entire page →
From page 328... ... Teach chemical engineers the science underlying carbon capture and clean energy technologies. The chip shortage is a reminder that there is room for innovation and beefing up the supply chain. Read the entire page →
From page 329... ... , but there are very few attempts of scaling up. UN Sustainable Development Goals Hidden Hunger (micronutrient deficiencies) Read the entire page →
From page 330... ...  Thermodynamics – 16  Chemistry – 3  Computing, Machine Learning,  Fact-based Analysis – 3 Statistics, Data Science – 12  Science of next generation  Mass Transfer/Mass and clean energy generation and Energy Balances – 9 technologies – 3  Transport Phenomena – 9  Catalysis – 2  Kinetics – 8  Chemical Reactor Engineering  Reaction Engineering – 8 –2  Applied Mathematics – 7  Green Chemistry/Technologies  Economics (Manufacturing and –2 Scale-up) – 7  Heat & Material Balances – 2  Process Design/Engineering/  Nanotechnology – 2 Simulation – 7  Biochemistry & Biochemical  Process Control – 6 Engineering – 1  Fluid Mechanics/Dynamics – 5  Entrepreneurship – 1  Unit Operation Principles – 5  Food & Nutrition Security – 1  Biology/Earth  Humanities – 1 Sciences/Geology – 4  Leadership – 1  Circular  Manufacturing – 1 Economy/Sustainability – 4  Momentum Transfer – 1  Heat Transfer – 4  R&D – 1  Systems Thinking/Engineering  Reach Methodology – 1 (i.e. Read the entire page →
From page 331... ... – 2 Economy, Decarbonization,  Time Management & etc.) – 4 Prioritization/ Project  Reaction Engineering – 4 Management – 2  Heat & Mass Transfer – 3  Water Resources  Kinetics – 3 Management/Treatment – 2  Process Engineering/Systems/  Active Materials and Low Design – 3 Energy Separations – 1  Research Methodology &  Advanced Manufacturing – 1 Experimental Design – 3  Advanced Chemical Synthesis  Specialized areas relevant to –1 Thesis – 3  Biodegradable Science – 1  Advanced Reactors/Reactor  Chemistry – 1 Design – 2  Communicating difficult  AI/Computer Science – 2 concepts to a wide audience – 1  Applied Mathematics – 2  Convergence Technologies – 1  Biology – 2  Digitalization – 1  Biomolecular  Drug Development – 1 Engineering/Bioengineering – 2  Environmental Impact  Bio and Biomedical Assessment – 1 Applications (Vaccine  Fluid Mechanics – 1 Development) Read the entire page →
From page 332... ... 332 New Directions for Chemical Engineering  Process Innovation and Scale up – 1  Process Intensification – 1  Physics – 1  Rheology (non-Newtonian) – 1  Thermofluids – 1  Unit Operations – 1  Unit Operations in Mars – 1 Read the entire page →
From page 333... ... – 1  Analytical Thinking – 1  Basic General Knowledge of Experimental Work – 1  Biology from an engineering perspective – 1  Climate Change, Sustainability & Circularity – 1  Entrepreneurship – 1  Fundamental Chemistry – 1  Green Chemistry – 1  Hands-on Experience – 1  Independence – 1  Industrial Exposure/Industry Standards – 1  Leadership – 1  Operation Research Skills – 1  Overall Familiarity with Instrumentation and Control Systems – 1  Particle Technology and Solids Handling – 1  Practical Experience – 1  Process Control/Process Dynamics/Process Simulation – 1  Project Flowsheet – 1  Societal Impacts of Technology – 1  Transport Phenomena – 1 Read the entire page →
From page 334... ...  Circular Economy/Sustainability – 8  Data Science, AI, Robotics – 6  Incorporate broader array of real-world problems within the ChE core – 5  Community Engagement and Practical Experience (Project, Internships, Field Trips) – 3  Interdisciplinary topics are useful as a way of synthesizing knowledge from core classes, but should not be a substitute for acquiring fundamental numerical skills that are only learned in college – 3  Polymer Chemistry – 3  Biology/Biological Engineering – 2  Collaborating with and Exposure to Industry – 2  Integrate emerging topics into core curriculum rather than creating specialized ones – 2  Nanotechnology – 2  New Requirement: ChEs to take classes outside of the ChE Department – 2  Applied ChE – 1  Applied Statistics – 1  Establish Forums at Universities to Encourage Entrepreneurship Around Innovative Technologies – 1  Focused seminars/courses (grad) Read the entire page →
From page 335... ... – 3  Negative American political ethos (anti-immigration policy, prejudice, bigotry, discrimination, sexism, homophobia, racism) – 3  Not enough mentors or role models to seek guidance – 3  Develop STEM programs that support URM throughout college – 2  Better involvement of women in STEM – 1  Declining higher education enrollments – 1  Increase opportunities for a broader community – 1  Lack of diversity within faculty/educational institutions are the barrier – 1  Lack of incentives for encouraging diversity – 1  Lack of outreach to URM students – 1  Lack of time to invest in this activity – 1  Limited job and growth opportunities in conventional ChE fields – 1  Myth of Meritocracy – 1  Narrow-minded thinking – 1  Other fields such as health care, medicine, bioengineering, computer and data science, finance, etc., are deemed to be more exciting than conventional ChE – 1  URM aren't attracted to ChE in part because of its lack of diversity – 1 Read the entire page →
From page 336... ... universities would need to increase its hiring/teaching in chemical engineering topical areas of importance to growing high-tech industries (topical areas include particle technology, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, advanced industrial polymers, energy challenges and lead in discovery, development and deployment of new breakthrough technologies for low-carbon future, etc.) – 2  By engaging with different entities in our professional societies, research endeavors and transparent interactions in the international/global realm – 1  Establish ecosystems to further partnership and collaboration with academia, government, and industry to accelerate advancement of new technologies – 1  Incentivize domestic students to pursue ChE – 1  International collaborations are less important, build expertise and facilities here in the U.S. Read the entire page →
From page 337... ... Appendix C 337  U.S. universities should be encouraged to set up their campuses in other countries, and offer the same enriched engineering curriculum experience and quality of education as it would on their main campuses in the mainland USA – 1 Read the entire page →
From page 338... ... Process technology has been a technologically mature field, with incremental advances, and mostly an industry with a sedate pace of new construction and retrofits. But handling large volumes of materials cannot remain at the micro scale outside the lab. Read the entire page →

From page 318...

... As an alternative, in spring 2021 the committee distributed a questionnaire to members of the chemical engineering community to gather broad input on challenges and opportunities for the discipline, as well as key needs in education and training. The web link to the online questionnaire was distributed via email to subscribers to the mailing list for the National Academies' Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST)

Appendix C: Summary of Results of the Chemical Engineering Community Questionnaire Pages 318-338

Appendix C: Summary of Results of the Chemical Engineering Community Questionnaire
Pages 318-338