September 15, 2004
UW chemical engineering celebrates 100 years of life-changing innovations
The next time you change junior’s diaper, think of the University of Washington’s Department of Chemical Engineering as you conveniently toss the soiled article in the trash.
The same goes for hundreds of other everyday occurrences, from putting down a new floor in your kitchen, watering the garden, changing a car tire and blowing a great, big chewing-gum bubble to the medical miracle of kidney dialysis.
All of those activities are enhanced because of innovations — disposable diapers, vinyl, artificial rubber, synthetic chewing gum and a home dialysis machine — conjured by graduates of UW chemical engineering.
This weekend, chemical engineering alumni, friends and supporters from across the nation will gather at the UW’s Seattle campus to renew old acquaintances, remember the past and speculate on life-changing innovations yet to come at a 100-year birthday party for the department. The celebration runs Friday through Saturday.
“Chemical engineering in general is the basis for a multitude of things that people today take for granted, and our department in particular has spawned some of the really revolutionary innovations,” said Eric Stuve, head of the department. “The great thing is, the process continues. We still have people leading the field, working on projects that will continue to shape and change our lives.”
Take the emerging field of organic electronics. Sam Jenekhe is a leader in the discipline, and is developing organic light-emitting diode displays that are brighter and faster than either the liquid crystal or plasma technology currently used in flat panel displays. As such, OLEDs offer the promise of bright, sharp viewing from all angles.
Or the study of protein structure. Proteins are strings of amino acids that must be precisely shaped, or folded, to function properly. Protein misfolding is linked to a number of neurodegenerative ailments, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Francois Baneyx is exploring that structure-function relationship, looking for answers.
Dan Schwartz is examining the world of microchemical processing to create tiny pipes, pumps and heat and mass-transfer devices. The upshot is the promise of manufacturing plants that could fit on a postage stamp.
Faculty members will exhibit those projects, as well as research into other areas including fuel cells, nanotechnology, microbiological chemical processing and composite materials, during a demo session in Benson Hall Friday afternoon from 2:30 to 4.
That current research builds on a firm tradition, according to Stuve, one that includes the work of graduates like Waldo Semon (vinyl, used in hundreds of products like garden hoses, credit cards, wall coverings, food wrap, record albums and plastic bottles), Albert Babb (long-term dialysis) and Victor Mills (disposable diapers).
“UW chemical engineering definitely made its mark during the last 100 years,” Stuve said. “We fully expect to carry the tradition into the next 100.”
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For more information, contact Stuve at (206) 543-2253 or stuve@cheme.washington.edu. For information about the Chemical Engineering Centennial Celebration, including a full program of events, visit the Web at http://depts.washington.edu/chemeng/centennial or call Wanda Prong at (206) 543-2250.
