Chemical Engineering

Undergraduate Program Graduate Studies

Chemical engineering research takes place within a highly collaborative cross-disciplinary research atmosphere. The Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Arts & Sciences and Agriculture, Food and Environment are within a 10-minute walk of the College of Engineering. Our faculty members also conduct research with the Center for Applied Energy Research, a nationally recognized leader in renewable energy solutions, as well as the Center of Membrane Sciences, UK Superfund Research Center, Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science.

Students & Academics
Research
Faculty and Staff

477 Undergraduates

$74K Average starting salary (NACE Summer 2023)

2 Programs

Lexington and Paducah

25% Of all female undergraduate students in the college

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Alumni

We maintain a strong relationship with our alumni and encourage them to keep in touch with us. Stay connected by filling out our alumni information form, or send updates directly to our department chair, Tom Dziubla, at thomas.dziubla@uky.edu.

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CME Department News

Seven Pigman College of Engineering students, alumni earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

May 10, 2026

Seven of the twelve University of Kentucky students and recent graduates that were awarded 2026 U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships were from the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the country’s oldest graduate fellowship program directly supporting graduate students, recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions.

2026 Pigman College of Engineering Faculty Awards

May 4, 2026

On April 30, the Pigman College of Engineering gathered at the Manchester Fountain Hall to honor its 2026 Faculty Awards recipients for their outstanding contributions to the college and beyond. Awards were given in the areas of research, service and education. This year, in addition to individual research awards, the college added a new award category to honor the work of a research team. The winners in each area are listed below.

2026 Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars announced

Nov 3, 2025

Thanks to the generous support of Stanley and Karen Pigman and Kentucky’s Research Challenge Trust Fund (RCTF), engineering researchers are receiving additional annual funding to enhance the research priorities and programs of the Pigman College of Engineering. Established in 2024, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment supports faculty, research, graduate students, facilities and research infrastructure in the Pigman College of Engineering. This year, the endowment made $235,000 in funds available for distribution.

5 engineering alumni inducted into 2025 UK Hall of Distinguished Alumni

Sep 9, 2025

On Sept. 12, the University of Kentucky will induct 20 alumni into the 2025 Hall of Distinguished Alumni, including five Pigman College of Engineering alumni. The alumni will be honored for their meaningful contributions to the Commonwealth, nation and the world.

20 Pigman College of Engineering researchers among top 2% of world’s most-cited

Jul 3, 2025

The University of Kentucky is well-represented on a list of the most-cited researchers in the world. In a database compiled by Stanford University in a partnership with Elsevier, 136 current UK scientists and scholars appear among the top 2% of the most-cited researchers across 22 disciplines. Of those 136 scientists and scholars, 20 are UK Pigman College of Engineering faculty.

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Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering