Welcome to the School

If you are reading this message, then you have found your way to the website for the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Let me begin by offering a warm welcome to each and every one of you.

This website was designed with the aim of providing information that would change people’s lives and change them for the better. So let me encourage every visitor to spend a few moments browsing the site and looking for what you personally need to know – all of us here have made every effort to make that information as accessible as possible.

If you are still at school and are looking for a challenging and rewarding professional career, our undergraduate program will excite you. The curriculum has recently been totally revamped to emphasise the engineering competencies and problem-based skills that employers around the world expect to find in a 21st century graduate engineer. But will our program provide you with those ‘practical’ skills that employers value so highly? We like to think so - and after you have experienced the laboratories integrated within our course structure, together with our ‘week in industry’ and (10 week) vacation training programs, we feel sure you’ll agree. And of course in your final year, all well-performing students can apply for a fulltime semester-long secondment to one of our industry sponsors around Australia as part of our unique Major Industrial Placement Program Scheme (MIPPS). At present a MIPPS scholarship is worth $11,600 (tax-free) and is of course available to both local and international students. Maybe here is an appropriate point to note what a prospective student would expect from any School as progressive as ours – that nearly half of our student population are females and that we take special pride in the understanding and support we provide for our many overseas students.

Or maybe you already have a degree (or two) and are looking for that next challenge. The School offers a coursework Masters program, as well as research-only Masters and PhD programs supervised by staff whose contribution to engineering research excellence is acknowledged around the world. Browse our site and be amazed at the diversity of what we do – the hardest decision will be deciding which of our research programs best fits your interests and future plans.

For those of you from the industrial and commercial sectors, the School can meet your many needs – from access to state-of-the-art analytical and computational services, through tailored short courses and consultancies, to the provision of expert witnesses who speak with the voice of authority in their field. We are rightly proud of our ongoing links with industry, and look forward to successful engagements in the future.

In conclusion, let me state the obvious by pointing out that even the best website cannot answer every individual question and concern. So whether you are still at school and are unsure as to your career path, or hold a senior engineering position and are looking for detailed technical advice, please contact either myself or my staff. Who knows, it may be the start of a long and beautiful relationship – I for one certainly hope so!

Tim Langrish

Head of School