Chemical engineering is justifiably recognized as a discipline well suited for the nation’s technical and leadership human resource. In the recent years, increasing interests in biology, life science and nanotechnology among faculty of chemical engineering schools have been reflected in shifting the distribution of areas of faculty expertise and research within US academe. The purpose of this Plenary Session is to examine the degree of redistribution in faculty strengths, and to consider how that compares with the likely needs of American industry for chemical engineering talent of the future.