(142b) Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Laboratory: A Senior Capstone Experience

Successful capstone experiences engage senior students in an educational pursuit that ties together all components of the chemical engineering (ChemE) curriculum. The laboratory sequence at the University of Kansas (KU) serves as one such experience, giving students a deeper perspective on ChemE fundamentals and preparing them for careers in the chemical industry, research, or medicine. The first laboratory course focuses on the ChemE foundations of Transport, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics and uses three newly commissioned mobile experiment stations, specifically designed for use in the senior laboratory as well as for incorporation into their junior-level counterpart core courses. Integrating concepts from the laboratory into earlier courses provides for learning in multiple contexts over an extended period of time and helps students reinforce knowledge and develop understanding. The second laboratory course, taken in the final semester senior year, focuses on unit operations in process control and process separations. A new pilot-scale distillation column fabricated and donated by Koch Industries (Wichita, KS) allows students to study fundamental chemical engineering while also providing an opportunity to operate equipment more in line with that used in the process industry.

Response to continual advancements in the courses has been overwhelmingly positive, with students noting a greater understanding of chemical engineering concepts as well as better preparation for their future careers. This presentation will outline the recent improvements in the laboratory sequence at KU and its use in providing an immersive capstone experience.