Welcome to the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering 

in LSU's College of
Engineering. The department is a leader in research, teaching, and service in a field
that is crucial to the economy of the Gulf South. It is the largest and most active
chemical engineering department at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
in the state. The department has received international recognition for its
contributions to chemical engineering research, education, and service. In addition,
the doctoral program received a "commendation for excellence" from the previous
review by the Board of Regents.
The chemical engineering faculty at LSU include 19 tenure and tenure track faculty
and four instructors. Together, they serve over 700 undergraduates and 60
graduate students. The research faculty are responsible for more than $3 million in
annual research expenditures and produce more than 60 peer-reviewed
publications each year. Five of the 19 faculty are recognized as fellows of
professional societies, four are current or former NSF CAREER Awardees.
The Cain Department of Chemical Engineering offers both a Master of Science in
Chemical Engineering and a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering.
Students should have either a bachelor's degree from an accredited chemical
engineering department or equivalent preparation in a department whose
curriculum closely corresponds to chemical engineering (e.g., Chemistry, Physics,
Chemical Technology, Polymer Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, etc.). 
LSU ChE is recognized as a strong educational and research unit, both regionally
and nationally. During the past five years, the department has averaged seven PhD
graduates per year and ten MS graduates per year. Enrollment averages 55
students with 80% of those being PhD candidates, and the overall quality of
entering students is the highest of any department at LSU. The department is
consistently among the top in the nation in sponsored research. Funding is through
external grants and contracts from federal agencies, including the National Science
Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency;
state sources; and, private (corporate) sources.
Part-time students are welcome. For the convenience of those working in nearby
industry, key graduate courses are offered in the early evening. Students are
encouraged to develop programs to meet their particular interests.
No student will leave our department who has not had the opportunity to interact
both personally and intellectually with the faculty, staff, and research associates.
There is no research group so large that it is isolated, and joint research projects
are common. Cross-disciplinary interaction with our colleagues
in Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Microbiology,
the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD), Wetland
Biogeochemistry, and many others will add to your experience

Graduate Degree Requirements

Master of Science in Chemical Engineering

The Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (MS in ChE) is available with
either a thesis or non-thesis option. Whenever practicable, students are encouraged
to pursue the thesis option, and it is only this option for which financial aid is
available from the department. The thesis option is composed of 24 credit hours of
formal coursework and a six credit thesis (CHE 8000) while the non-thesis option
is composed of 36 credit hours of formal coursework and a comprehensive
examination. Regardless of their program option, all ChE MS students must
complete the chemical engineering graduate core program, 
 CHE 7110 Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering (3), 
 CHE 7120 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3), 
 CHE 7130 Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transport (3), and 
 CHE 7140 Chemical Reactor Design Methods (3), or equivalents.
Students in the non-thesis MS program must pass a written comprehensive
examination within one year of their enrollment. Students in the thesis MS program
must pass a final examination consisting of a comprehensive oral examination.
The departmental-level academic course plan for each student will be developed in
consultation with and approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. The
committee will include the student’s major advisor and at least two additional
members of the graduate faculty such that the LSU Graduate School’s requirements
for graduate committees are satisfied.
Students can transfer a maximum of nine hours of coursework to LSU for the MS
degree from another US institution with a maximum of two core courses eligible for
transfer. Every credit transfer is at the discretion of the Director of Graduate
Studies.
Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering
The Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering (PhD in ChE) from LSU
requires 24 hours of credit in dissertation research and a minimum of 30 hours of
credit at the graduate level. A minimum of 18 hours of credit in ChE courses at the
7000 level or above are required, exclusive of any type of independent studies credit
except for special project credit earned. The remaining 12 hours of coursework can
include graduate level courses in any department and may constitute a formal
minor or an informal collection of courses of interest.
All graduate students are required to complete the four chemical engineering core
courses:
 (CHE 7110 Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering (3), 
 CHE 7120 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3), 
 CHE 7130 Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transport (3), and 
 CHE 7140 Chemical Reactor Design Methods (3)
within their first year in the graduate program unless special permission is
requested by the student and granted from the department chair. The ability to
continue in the PhD program is contingent on the performance in these classes.
A student earning a GPA greater than or equal to a 3.0 in the core classes may
remain in the PhD program (i.e., begin working on the general exam).
A student earning a GPA below 3.0 in the core classes must proceed to the MS
program. After a successful MS defense, the student may petition for readmission to
the PhD program. This petition must be approved by the student’s major advisor,
MS thesis committee, and the department chair.
After earning a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the four core graduate classes (CHE 7110
Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering (3), CHE 7120 Chemical
Engineering Thermodynamics (3), CHE 7130 Fundamentals of Heat and Mass
Transport (3), and CHE 7140 Chemical Reactor Design Methods (3)) or
successfully defending a thesis MS and receiving permission of their major advisor,
MS committee, and the department chair to proceed into the PhD program, the
student becomes eligible to take the General Examination, which is an oral defense
of a written plan for doctoral research. The General Examination must be
completed within 12 months of when the student becomes eligible unless special
permission to delay the examination is requested and received from the
department. A student’s contract may be revoked if the student does not meet this
requirement. A final examination must also be passed. The final examination is an
oral defense of the doctoral dissertation.
The departmental-level academic course plan for each student will be developed in
consultation with and approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. The
committee will include the student’s major advisor and at least two additional
members of the graduate faculty such that the LSU Graduate School’s requirements
for graduate committees are satisfied.
Students already holding a master’s degree in chemical engineering can transfer
up to nine hours of coursework, with a maximum of two core courses eligible for
transfer. Every credit transfer is at the discretion of the Director of Graduate
Studies. A minimum of six hours of coursework numbered 7300 or greater must be
taken at LSU, regardless of the transferred credit.

CHE 7800 (Seminar)

Seminars from visiting scholars or experts provide a valuable opportunity for
graduate students to learn about research trends at a high level. The Cain
Department of Chemical Engineering has been holding approximately five to ten
graduate seminars each fall and spring semester for at least the last two decades.
All full-time graduate students are required to register for CHE 7800 (1)
every fall and spring semester. This course consists of up to 14 (one hour)
weekly seminars including presentations and discussions on current research
topics and other special interests in chemical engineering and related fields.
Prereq.: graduate standing in engineering. Pass-fail grading. Full-time graduate
students are expected to enroll in this course every fall and spring semester. Only
one semester hour of credit will be allowed toward degree.

Full-time Enrollment
A full-time graduate student holding a research or teaching assistantship is
expected to register and complete at least 12 credit hours of graduate
coursework during the fall and spring semesters and nine credit hours of graduate
coursework during the summer term. The required credit hours can be entirely
formal coursework, a combination of formal coursework and research credits, or
entirely research credits.
 
More details regarding LSU Graduate School requirements can be found in
the online Graduate Catalog.

Financial Aid for Graduate Students

General Financial Aid Information
Financial assistance is available to well-qualified students through the department
or other units in the form of research or teaching assistantships and/or
fellowships and is awarded at the discretion of the department graduate
admissions committee following the complete evaluation of the student’s
application record. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application
materials should be submitted in accordance with deadlines established by the LSU
Graduate School and the department. Students desiring financial support should
apply early, have all requested documents sent to the department, and fully
communicate their own status and needs. All assistantships and fellowships include
a full tuition waiver and a waiver of nonresident fees provided by the Graduate
School. Students are still responsible for other university fees; these fees can be
found in the fee schedule listings on the Office of Budget & Planning website.

Research & Teaching Assistantships

Assistantships of $22,000 per year are available for MS students, with a duration of
appointment of 21 months. Assistantships for PhD students start at $28,000, with a
duration of appointment of five years. Increases to assistantships are made
periodically to reflect increases in university fees and cost of living expenses. These
increases are made for incoming and existing students.
The Graduate School website contains the rules regulating graduate
assistantships.

Fellowships & Other Financial Awards

 Board of Regents Fellowships
 Brookshire Fellowship
 Cain Graduate Research Fellowship
 Cain Graduate Teaching Fellowship
 Charles E. Coates Memorial Fund
 Outstanding Dissertation Awards
 Coates Conference Travel Awards
 Coates Research Travel Awards
 Coates Scholar Research Grants
 Clayton Program
 Dissertation Fellowships
 Distinguished Dissertation Awards
  Fellowships
 Flagship Assistantships
 Graduate Student Travel Awards
 The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
(GRFP)
 Tuition Awards
Additional information about financial aid is available on both the Graduate
School and College of Engineering websites.
 
Prospective Graduate Students

Departmental Admission Requirements & Application Information

To become an MS or PhD student in the Cain Department of Chemical
Engineering applicants must meet the minimum requirements for admission to
the LSU Graduate School and the department. Applications for admission are
evaluated by the department graduate admissions committee on a competitive
basis. Each applicant is assessed for success at the graduate level, taking into
consideration academic credentials, undergraduate preparation, research skills,
industry experience, recommendations, GRE scores, TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores
(for international students whose native language is not English), and any other
information that can contribute to the review. Program admission is also
dependent on the availability of department funding, office/laboratory space, and
faculty interest.
The minimum department admission requirements are listed below. Please note
that meeting these requirements does not guarantee program admission.
All applicants are encouraged to visit the FAQ section at the bottom of this page,
as well as the Graduate School's FAQ section, for additional information and
answers to the most common admission questions.

Department Admission Requirements

 GPA of 3.0 or higher

 preferred GRE score of 300 or higher (verbal + quantitative) 
 minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper based exam), 213 (computer based
exam), or 79 (internet based exam); IELTS score of 6.5; or PTE score of 59
(for international students whose native language is not English)
 completed Graduate School application
  supply three letters of recommendation

Application Process
Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted
through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official
transcripts (along with an English translation version for non-English speaking
universities) from each and every institution attended, official GRE scores (sent
directly from ETS to the LSU Graduate School: code 6373), official TOEFL, IELTS, or
PTE scores (for international students whose native language is not English), and
other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate
Admissions, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper
documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials
submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.
In addition to the documents and scores required by the Graduate School, the
Department of Chemical Engineering requires applicants to submit the following
items: a statement of purpose, a current resumé/CV, and a minimum of three
letters of recommendation (no form required). A writing sample is not required by
our department but may be submitted if the applicant so desires. All of these
additional items should be submitted electronically through the Graduate School
admission system. Direct mailing of these items is discouraged.

Deadlines for Complete Applications

Fall Semester: May 15*
Spring Semester: October 15
*For those seeking financial assistance, the department's application deadline is
April 15.
Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by the Graduate
School and the department. Applications for the summer term are strongly
discouraged. International students are strongly encouraged to apply earlier than
established deadlines to allow sufficient time for application review and processing
of I-20 paperwork.
Completed applications received by January 1 are given first consideration.
Completed applications are those for which all required documents and
information have been received by the Graduate School, including transcripts, test
scores, and recommendations, as well as the completed online application.
Department Review Process
The department graduate admissions committee begins reviewing applications for
the fall semester in January each year. The department graduate admissions
committee reviews the record of each applicant, taking into consideration grade
point average, undergraduate preparation, engineering experience,
recommendations, GRE scores, and any other information which can contribute to
the review. Superior applicants will be invited to visit the department at our
expense.

Contact Information
Michael G. Benton - benton@lsu.edu
Office: 3315R Patrick F. Taylor Hall
Telephone: 225-578-3056

FAQ
When should I apply?
 Our deadline for fall admission is April 15, but we start admitting students in
early February. Applications that are received after we have started the
admission process have a reduced chance of admission because there will be
fewer open positions remaining. For fall applicants, we recommend that the
application be submitted no later than January 1 in order to have the best
chance of admission.

Do you admit students for the spring semester? Do you offer financial aid to
students who are admitted for spring?
 The answer to both questions is yes. However, our program is best suited for
fall admission, and the spring class is typically much smaller than the fall
class. Occasionally, we do not have a spring class.

How is admission decided?

 Our department graduate admissions committee makes all decisions
concerning admission and assistantships. They review the record of each
applicant, taking into consideration grade-point average, undergraduate
preparation, engineering experience, recommendations, GRE scores, and any
other information which can contribute to the review.

When will I know if I will be admitted?

 That is difficult to say. The decision process usually begins in early February
(for fall applicants) and continues through the spring semester, as long as
 applications are received and positions are available. A decision may be
made shortly after we receive your application, but a pool of qualified
applicants is kept on hold until we have received as many acceptances as we
have openings. The graduate coordinator informs each applicant via email
and post when a decision is made.

After I have applied, can you tell me my status in the admission decision
process?
 No. You will be notified via email and post if you are admitted. We do not
respond to inquiries concerning admission status.

If I give you a summary of my scores and background, can you tell me my

chances of receiving financial aid?
 No. However, we can say that a large number of our students are granted
financial aid. You will be notified via email and post if you are offered
financial aid. We do not respond to inquiries concerning financial aid status.

Can the application fee be waived?

 Application Fee Waiver Information & Request Form

Do you have recommendation forms?

 No. During the application process, you may supply the names and e-mail
addresses of the three (or more) people from whom you are requesting a
recommendation letter. An automatic e-mail will be sent to them with
instructions on how to submit the recommendation letter. You will be able to
see which letters have been received via your Graduate School online
application. You may also have your recommenders write letters, seal the
envelopes, sign over the seal, and give them to you to mail to us.

Can I send photocopies of my GRE & TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores with my

application instead of having the original scores mailed?
 Yes, but if you are admitted, you must then request that ETS sends the official
scores to the Graduate School before the beginning of your first semester.

Should I contact a faculty member that I would like to work with before I
arrive at LSU or even before I am admitted?
 Probably not. Most faculty members are deluged with e-mails from
prospective students and will not commit themselves to work with a student
based only on e-mail correspondence and an application package. Matching
students with projects is a complex process involving student competition
and available funding. Therefore, most faculty members will want to meet
 students in person and see how well they perform in core CHE courses before
making a decision. However, most faculty members will be more willing to
commit to advising a student if this commitment does not include a financial
obligation to support the student. Therefore, if you are financially self-
supported and do not require an assistantship, it may make sense to contact
potential research advisors in advance.

When & how do I pick a research advisor/project?

 Shortly after the semester begins, faculty members offering projects will give
short presentations on these projects. New students will then have most of
the semester to talk to the faculty members for whom they would like to
work. Each student must hand in a list of three or more desired projects,
ranked in order of preference. Students are then assigned projects based on
these lists, preferably in such a way that everyone gets his or her first choice.
Obviously, this is not always possible.

What are the minimum GRE & TOEFL/IELTS/PTE score requirements?

 The LSU Graduate School requires a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-
based exam), 213 (computer based exam), or 79 (internet based exam);
IELTS score of 6.5; or PTE score of 59 (for international students whose
native language is not English). No exceptions. Our department prefers
scores of at least 620 (pBt), 260 (cBt), or 105 (iBt), but these scores are not
required for admission as many factors are evaluated when considering
admission of each applicant.
The Graduate School does not have a minimum GRE score requirement. It is only
required that you take the test. Our department prefers GRE scores of 300 or higher
(verbal + quantitative).

Do I have to retake a course I have already taken or can it be transferred?

 Students already holding a master's degree in chemical engineering can
transfer up to nine hours of coursework, with a maximum of two core
courses eligible for transfer. Every credit transfer is at the discretion of the
Director of Graduate Studies. A minimum of six hours of coursework
numbered 7300 or greater must be taken at LSU, regardless of the
transferred credit.
Areas of Specialization
Energy: Benton, Bharti, Ding, Dooley, Flake, Griffin, Lawrence, Nandakumar
, Plaisance, Shelton, Spivey, Wornat, Xu
Environmental: Bharti,  Lawrence, McPeak, Melvin, Nandakumar, Thompson, 
Valsaraj, Wornat
Biochemical: Benton, Melvin, Tang

Advanced computations: Bharti, Lawrence, Nandakumar, Plaisance, Romagnoli,

Shelton, Tang, Thompson, Xu
Process Systems Engineering: Romagnoli, Tang
Catalysis: Ding, Dooley, Flake, Griffin, McPeak, Plaisance, Shelton, Spivey, Xu
Materials: Bharti, Ding, Flake, Griffin, Lawrence, McPeak, Melvin, Plaisance, 
Shelton, Tang, Xu

Prof. Michael G. Benton

Energy, Biochemical
Current Research: Genomics - the role of DNA damage response in cancer
prevention; biosensors for the enhanced detection of carcinogens; metabolic
engineering of yeast for increased ethanol production

Prof. Bhuvnesh Bharti

Energy, Environmental, Advanced Computations, Materials

Current Research: Nanoscience; colloids and surface science; soft matter and
complex fluids

Prof. Kunlun Ding

Energy, Catalysis, Materials

Current Research: Catalysis; materials chemistry; spectroscopy
Dr. Kerry M. Dooley, PhD
Professor
BASF Professor
Dr. Paul Horton Memorial Professor
Email : dooley@lsu.edu
Phone : (225) 578-3063
CV : Dr. Kerry Dooley CV
Location : 262 Chemical
                     Engineering, Louisiana
                     State University, Baton
                     Rouge, LA 70803

Educational Background
 PhD, University of Delaware, 1983
 MS, Tulane University, 1978
 BS, Tulane University, 1976

Research Interests
 Catalysis
 Materials Chemistry
 Energy

Energy, Catalysis
Current Research: Catalysis - supported acids and mixed metal oxides;
synthesis/characterization - rare earth oxide catalysts and energetic
material/catalyst composite materials; hydrogenation/dehydrogenation
Research Group
The graduate students that Dr. Kerry Dooley works most closely with are:

Kelly Cohen
Direct methane to methanol
oxidation at high pressure in a microreactor 

Cameron Roman
Catalytic dehydrogenation to
alkenes with RF-energy input 
Bernard Whajah
Catalytic depolymerization of
polyolefins with zeolite-based catalysts

Jonathan Lucas
Methane dry reforming catalysis

Dooley Labs – our facilities include:

 Continuous catalytic reactor systems covering a range of pressures and
temperatures
 Product analysis – GC, MS, LC
 Catalyst characterization – DSC/TGA, FTIR, porosimetry, chemisorption
 Synthetic facilities such as autoclaves, ovens, etc. 
 
We also work extensively at the LSU Synchrotron Center, especially on the XAS
beamlines

    
       Pictured left to right: Kelly Cohen, Jonathan Lucas, Cameron Roman, Bernard
Whajah
Prof. John C. Flake, PhD
Professor
Jay Affolter Endowed Professor
Email: johnflake@lsu.edu
Phone: (225) 578-1426
Website: Dr. Flake's Research Group
Location: 3307 Patrick F. Taylor Hall
                     Louisiana State University
                     Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Educational Background
 PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1998
 BS, Louisiana Tech University, 1993

Research Interests
 Materials Chemistry
 Catalysis
 Energy

Research Projects
 Electrochemical processes and materials
 Energy storage technology
 Electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction
 Materials for lithium batteries

Dr. John Flake's Research Group

Research
Electrocatalysis
Electrochemical reduction of CO2:
CO2 concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere have been on a dramatic rise over the
past century, which directly results in an increase in temperature anomalies and
deleterious climate change effects (global warming). As a result, developing
sustainable technologies that can transfer CO2 into value added chemicals provides a
promising pathway to reduce the rising levels of CO2 emissions. Our group aims at
providing electrochemical transformations of CO2 into value added chemicals as
HCOOH, CH3OH). Electrochemical reduction of CO2 provides an opportunity to store
renewable energy as fuels with much greater energy densities than batteries. Product
selectivity of the reduction reaction is known to be a function of the electrolyte and
electrode. Our aim is to improve the product selectivity (Faradaic efficiency), energetic
efficiency and conversion rate (current density) through the development of suitable
electrocatalysts, and modification of the electrode surface.

Electrochemical oxidation of CH4:

Methane is abundant in nature including approximately ~6,000,000 Tg located
undersea or underground and 5000 Tg (~1%) in the atmosphere. In the last 200 years,
atmospheric methane concentrations have doubled from 0.8 ppm to 1.6 ppm. This is
troubling, particularly because methane has a global warming potential 23 times
greater than CO2. Unfortunately, conventional methane to hydrocarbon conversion
routes (e.g. Fischer-Tropsch, acetylene) are relatively inefficient and have not widely
displaced hydrocarbons sourced from crude refining or ethane cracking. Our group
aims at providing efficient electrochemical methods to selectively convert CH4 to
specific hydrocarbons to higher hydrocarbons (C2+) without oxygenated or
halogenated intermediates at high yields and efficiencies through modulating
potential, electrolyte and electrode.
Batteries
Lithium-air and lithium-sulfur batteries have been proposed as potential higher
energy capacity alternatives; however, various issues plague these battery types,
ultimately affecting the energy and performance. Lithium-air batteries suffer from
poor cyclability (~ 60-70% efficiency) and materials issues stemming from moisture
and poor separation of environmental contaminants, while capacity fading (> 10%
over 100 cycles) and loss of active material remain huge challenges for lithium-sulfur
batteries due to polysulfide dissolution. Our group aims at developing a new
generation of lithium-based batteries using a lithium-bromide chemistry which have
shown promising results as a rechargeable alternative to lithium-ion batteries,
including energy densities and efficiencies.

Semiconductors
Flip chip joint quality and reliability are strong functions of several parameters
including the under-bump metallization (UBM), type of solder, and reflow process and
flux. In the UBM stack, Cu pads may be coated with adhesion layers, diffusion barriers
and capped with a metal such as Ni for flip-chip soldering; other device manufactures
simply use the Cu pads as the last metal. Before reflow, the surfaces to be joined are
treated with an acid flux to remove oxides and promote wetting. While the mechanical
properties, materials and processes associated with flip-chip packaging are relatively
well understood, there are few studies aimed at understanding flux reactions between
acids and UBM surfaces or solders. Our group aims at studying metal oxides (such as
CuOx, SnOx, and NiO) removal effectiveness of nonaqueous acid using electrochemical
methods.

Funding Support
 National Science Foundation
 Intel

 Lab Photos
Dr. Gregory L. Griffin, PhD
Professor
George H. Nusloch II Endowed Professor
Email : griffin@lsu.edu 
Phone : (225) 578-3064
CV : Dr. Gregory L. Griffin CV
Location : 3315M Patrick F. Taylor 
                     Hall, Louisiana State
                     University, Baton Rouge,
                     LA 70803

Energy, Catalysis, Materials

Current Research: Preparing improved electrodes for electrochemical conversion
of CO2 into usable fuels and chemicals; colloidal and electrochemical methods for
preparing nanoparticle electrodes

Educational Background
 PhD, Princeton University, 1979
 BS, California Institute of Technology, 1975

Research Interests
 Chemical Vapor Deposition
 Copper thin film interconnects
 Titanium dioxide dielectric films
 Aluminum nitride aerosol synthesis
 Materials Characterization
 Electron microscopy
 Surface analytical techniques
 Vibrational spectroscopy
 Heterogeneous Catalysis
 CO2 reduction
 Methanol synthesis
 Photo-assisted catalysis
Teaching Responsibilities
Dr. Griffin's group is currently exploring advanced methods for preparing
nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts, with particular emphasis on developing
catalysts needed for sustainable energy technologies.
Preparation techniques include chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition,
and electrochemical deposition, alone and in combination with colloidal nanoparticle
synthesis.
Catalyst materials focus mainly on bulk and supported copper and copper oxide
nanostructures, which are active for a variety of reactions, including electrochemical
reduction of CO2, water gas shift, methanol synthesis, and methanol oxidation.

Prof. Jimmy Lawrence

Energy, Environmental, Advanced Computations, Materials

Current Research: Functional polymers and nanomaterials; nano-mesoscale
assemblies; stimuli responsive-adaptive materials; continuous/scale-up
preparation of high performance and advanced materials

Dr. Kevin M. McPeak, PhD

Associate Professor
Gordan A. & Mary Cain Professor
Email : kmcpeak@lsu.edu 
Phone : (225) 578-0058
Website : McPeak Lab
CV : Dr. Kevin McPeak CV
Location : 3315L Patrick F. Taylor
                     Hall, Louisiana State
                     University, Baton Rouge,
                     LA 70803
 Educational Background
 Postdoc, ETH Zurich, Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory
 PhD, Drexel University, 2010
 BS in Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, 1999

Research Interests
 Photocatalysis
 Plasmonic materials
 Nanoscale chirality

Selected Publications
 Plasmonic films can easily be better: rules and recipes
KM McPeak, SV Jayanti, SJP Kress, S Meyer, S Iotti, A Rossinelli, ...
ACS photonics 2 (3), 326-333
 Complex chiral colloids and surfaces via high-index off-cut silicon
KM McPeak, CD van Engers, M Blome, JH Park, S Burger, MA Gosalvez, ...
Nano letters 14 (5), 2934-2940
 In situ x-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy of ZnO
nanowire growth during chemical bath deposition
KM McPeak, MA Becker, NG Britton, H Majidi, BA Bunker, JB Baxter
Chemistry of Materials 22 (22), 6162-6170

PH.D. STUDENTS
Luis Manuel

Hometown: Cabinda, Cabinda, Angola

Project: Nanoparticles for Bioimaging
Bio: Originally from Angola in Central Africa, Luis had the opportunity to graduate
from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering.
After completing his bachelor's, Luis wanted to obtain a Ph.D. in the same discipline to
better aid people from underprivileged backgrounds in obtaining higher education.
Luis chose LSU primarily due to his desire to stay in the South, motivated by the local
climate and cuisine. Luis synthesizes plasmonic and chiral nanoparticles for medical
applications using bottom-up fabrication techniques in the McPeak lab.  

MaCayla Caso

Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Project: Chiral Nanoparticles
Bio: MaCayla Caso has been passionate about science since she was very young.
During her time in high school, she visited LSU and was able to sit in on a chemical
engineering lecture. This solidified what major she wanted as she went into her
undergraduate degree and helped guide her to what she wanted in a career. She hopes
to become a research professor and encourage other women engineers to pursue their
dream.
Mary Worbington

Hometown: Greenville, MS
Project: Photocatalytic Water Disinfection
Bio:

Stephania Imbachi-Ordonez

Hometown:

Project: Machine Learning Algorithms for Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Characterization of Sugar Cane (Collaboration with Audubon Sugar Institute)
Bio: 

Lina Rojas
Hometown: Cali, Columbia
Project: Emergent properties of noble-transition metal alloys
Bio: 

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS
Ella Sheets

Hometown: Lafayette, LA
Project: Photocatalytic Water Disinfection
Bio:

Liz Diaz
Hometown:  Houma, LA
Project: Photocatalytic Water Disinfection
Bio:

Hamood Qureshi

Hometown:  Lafayette, LA
Project: Photocatalytic Water Disinfection
Bio:

Cameron Bachar

Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA
Project: Hot-Carrier Materials for Infrared Photodetection
Bio:
Eryn Kennedy

Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA
Project: Photocatalytic Water Disinfection
Bio:

ALUMNI
Dr. Tiago Ramos Leite (LSU Ph.D. '22 - Qorvo), Sarah Glass (LSU BS '22 - Rice
University Ph.D. Student), Dr. Daniel Willis (LSU Ph.D. '21 - Silver Bullet Water
Treatment Company), Henry Kantrow (LSU BS '21 - GA Tech ChE Ph.D.
Student), Noah Smith (LSU BS '21 - Ph.D. Student U. Colorado Boulder), Henry
Cain (LSU BS '21 - Dupont), Scott Wicker (REU Student '21), Dr. Sara Stofela (LSU
Ph.D. '20), Gloria Alvarado (LSU BS '20 - ExxonMobil), Garret Lambert (LSU BS '16
- ExxonMobil), Jon Wilson (LSU BS '16 - U Del ChE Ph.D. Student)
COLLABORATORS
Sven Burger & Lin Zschiedrich (JCMwave), Ayash Sahu (NYU), Phil
Sprunger (LSU Physics), William Shelton (LSU Physics), Omar Magana-
Loaiza (LSU Physics), Jason Baxter (Drexel University), Ben Diroll (Argonne
National Laboratory), Martin Villiger (Harvard University)

Prof. Adam T. Melvin

Environmental, Biochemical, Materials

Current Research: A multidisciplinary approach in the development and
implementation of new technologies and methods to assess biological phenomena
using engineering principles: peptide biosensor development; microfluidics; single
cell analysis and tracking; quantifications of ubiquitin-proteasome kinetics, algal
growth and migration dynamics; environmental chemodynamics

Prof. Krishnaswamy Nandakumar

Energy, Environmental, Advanced Computations
Current Research: Integrating multi-scale, multi-physics processes to understand
the impact of turbulent transport on mass transfer and reaction processes -
focusing on the design of a novel bio-reactor and a bubble column; modeling of
near well transport processes in the presence of surfactants using multiphase CFD
to understand the impact of deep water oil spills; using DNS and DPM framework
to study fundamental problems of spontaneous pattern formation and dynamics of
fluid-particle suspensions; driven cavity problem of granular flows, suspension
dynamics, bubble column dynamics, fractal distributors and mixers, multiphase
coalescers, in-situ pyrolysis of shale deposits
Dr. Craig Plaisance, PhD
Assistant Professor
M.F. Gautreaux/Albemarle Foundation Professor
Email: plaisance@lsu.edu
Phone: (225) 578-6320
Location: 3314P Patrick F. Taylor
Hall, Louisiana State
University, Baton Rouge,
LA 70803

Educational Background
 PhD, University of Virginia, 2012
 MS, Louisiana State University, 2005
 BS, Louisiana State University, 2003

Research Interests
 Developing a theoretical molecular-level understanding of heterogeneous
catalysis & electrocatalysis
 Developing & applying multiscale modeling approaches to study heterogeneous
catalysis and electrocatalysis
 
Energy, Advanced Computations, Catalysis, Materials
Current Research: Computational Investigation of the Potential for Overcoming the
Challenges of Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction by Synergistically Combining
Organocatalysts and Catalytic Transition Metal Sulfide Surfaces

Prof. Jose A. Romagnoli

Advanced Computations, Process Systems Engineering
Current Research: Process Systems Engineering (PSE); advanced multi-scale
modelling architectures for complex processes; advanced multiresolution image
analysis and characterization techniques; design and synthesis with economic-
environmental-operability considerations; intelligent data processing,
reconciliation, monitoring; advanced process control; enterprise-wide optimization

Prof. William A. Shelton

Energy, Advanced Computations, Catalysis, Materials
Current Research: Catalysis; alloy theory; chemistry - surface science

Prof. James J. Spivey,

Professor
James McLaurin Shivers Professor
Clarence M. Eidt Jr. Professor
Email: jjspivey@lsu.edu
Phone: (225) 578-3690
Website: Spivey Research Gate
CV: Dr. James J. Spivey CV
Location: 3314L Patrick F. Taylor
Hall, Louisiana State
University, Baton Rouge,
LA 70803

Educational Background
 PhD, Louisiana State University, 1980
 MS, North Carolina State University, 1974
 BS, North Carolina State University, 1972

Research Interests
 Catalysis
  Energy

Research Projects
 Synthesis gas catalysis
 Catalytic fuel processing for hydrogen production
 Clean fuels
 Methane-CO2 reactions
 Catalytic decomposition of NO
 Sulfur-tolerant NOx traps
 Synthesis and testing of novel metal foam reactors

Energy, Catalysis
Current Research: Catalytic conversion of syngas into clean fuels; fuel processing;
C1 catalysis—methane conversion; biomass-derived syngas to higher hydrocarbons
and oxygenates; fuel reforming

Prof. Xun Tang

Biochemical, Advanced Computations, Process Systems Engineering, Materials

Current Research: Optimal control for self-assembly, synthetic biology, genetic
circuits

Prof. Karsten E. Thompson

Environmental, Advanced Computations
Current Research: Porous materials—microscale fluid mechanics, interfacial and
multiphase behavior, dispersion, solute and particle transport; materials
processing; oilfield processes; environmental transport; separations; developing
computational modeling techniques, particularly for pore-scale and multiscale
modeling

Prof. Kalliat T. Valsaraj

Environmental
Current Research: Transformations of pollutants on atmospheric aerosols – fog,
rain, ice, snow; mercury sequestration in sediments; studies on chemical dispersant
design for sub-sea oil/gas spill

Prof. Mary Julia (Judy) Wornat

Energy, Environmental
Current Research: High-temperature fuel-conversion processes such as pyrolysis
and combustion; formation of environmental pollutants such as polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons and soot; gas-phase, heterogeneous, and supercritical-
phase reactions; analytical techniques for the compositional determination of
complex organic mixtures

Dr. Ye Xu, PhD

Associate Professor
Leon M. Pliner Distinguished Professor
Email: yexu@lsu.edu
Phone: (225) 578-1750
Website: Dr. Ye Xu Homepage
CV: Dr. Ye Xu CV
Location: 3314Q Patrick F. Taylor Hall
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Educational Background
 PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2004
 BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999
Research Interests
 Computational heterogeneous catalysis & electrocatalysis
 Atomistic modeling of surface & interfacial properties & reactions
 Elucidation of surface thermodynamics, kinetics & reaction mechanisms
 Rational design of catalytic materials

Energy, Advanced Computations, Catalysis, Materials

Current Research: Theoretical and computational investigation of surface
chemical thermodynamics, kinetics, and reaction mechanisms; computational
heterogeneous catalysis and electrocatalysis; rational design of catalytic materials;
energy conversion and storage

Research Projects
 Reactions of organic compounds on transition metals & oxides including ceria
 Electrochemical reduction & oxidation reactions including HER, ORR & CO2RR
 Alloy catalysis

Dr. Kunlun Ding, PhD

Assistant Professor
Gordon A. & Mary Cain Professor
Email : kunlunding@lsu.edu
Phone : (225) 578-9168
Website : The Ding Group
CV : Dr. Kunlun Ding CV
Location : 3314G Patrick F. Taylor
                     Hall, Louisiana State
                     University, Baton Rouge,
                     LA 70803

Educational Background
 PhD, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), 2009
 BE, Zhengzhou University (China), 2004

Research Interests
 Catalysis
 Materials Chemistry
  Spectroscopy
 Energy

Research Projects
 Natural gas conversion
 Emission control: COx and NOx reactions
 Selective hydrogenation
 Polymer waste conversion
 Hierarchical porous materials synthesis
 Atomic layer deposition

Research

Catalysis is the heart of the chemical industry and energy processing. Among the
various types of catalysts, heterogeneous catalysts are the most widely used because of
their ease of separation from the reaction mixture. Largely owing to the structural
heterogeneities of their complex surfaces, most heterogeneous catalytic systems have
not yet been fully understood at the atomic level. In many cases, only a limited portion
of the surface species determines the overall catalytic performances. Most techniques
employed by researchers either provide statistically limited information such as
microscopy, or sample-averaged information such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy.
From this point of view, site-specific techniques that are capable of providing
statistically sufficient information on site identification and quantification as well as
the activity evaluation of specific sites are essential. Our research focuses on 1)
developing model catalysts to minimize the structural heterogeneities; 2) developing
site-specific spectroscopies to distinguish the structures and discriminate the catalytic
performance of different sites. The candidate reactions include natural gas
conversions (OCM, POM), COx/NOx conversions, selective hydrogenations, metathesis,
etc.

Members

Postdocs No postdoc at this moment.

PhD Students

Divakar R. Aireddy
daired1@lsu.edu
Research: selective catalytic reduction of NOx; atomic layer deposition; selective
hydrogenation; natural gas conversion.

Xiaoshen Bai
xbai7@lsu.edu
Research: plastic waste chemical recycling; bimetallics.
 Mark Berko
mberko1@lsu.edu
Research: bimetallics; natural gas conversion.
 

Cain Department of Chemical Engineering

Louisiana State University
3307 Patrick F. Taylor Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Telephone: (225) 578-1426
Fax: (225) 578-1476
Email: che@lsu.edu

Graduate Program Student Cost

Estimated Yearly Cost

Estimated yearly cost is an estimate of the cost for the upcoming academic year based
on the actual cost for the current academic year. The estimated cost below is based on
the 2023-24 academic year and is subject to change.

Louisiana Non-Louisiana
Estimated Yearly Cost: 2023-24
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees (9 credit hours per $12,533  $29,448

semester)
Cost of Attendance
Cost of attendance (COA) is the maximum amount of financial aid and scholarships a
student can receive. Cost of attendance does not represent an amount you will owe to
the university. COA includes tuition and fees, food and housing, allowances for books
and supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous/personal expenses. Students with an
unusual expense that might affect their COA can contact Financial Aid to determine if
an increase is appropriate.
Note 1: A computer cost may be added for students who purchase a computer for their
major or residential college. The computer does not have to be required by the college
or major to be added to the COA. The cost may be given each year with documentation
of purchase of up to $1,200.
Note 2: A cost for Federal Loan Origination Fees will be added for those students who
accept a Federal Stafford Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and/or Plus Loan.
Note 3:  A cost of obtaining a license, certification, or a first professional license will
be added to the student’s Cost of Attendance if required by the program. 
Note 4:  The cost of the Summer sessions references a student taking 6 or more hours.

Cost of Attendance:  Fall 2023 and Spring 2024

Student Living in a Residence Hall (On Campus)
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $12,534 $29,450

Food $5,192 $5,192

Housing $9,044 $9,044

Books & $906 $906

Supplies

Transportation $3,840 $3,840

Personal  $4,044 $4,044

Total $35,560 $52,476

 
 Cost of Attendance:  Fall 2023 and Spring 2024
Student Living in an Apartment (On Campus or Off Campus)
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $12,534 $29,450

Food $5,192 $5,192

Housing $11,030 $11,03

Books & $906 $906

Supplies

Transportation $3,840 $3,840

Personal  $4,044 $4,044

Total 37,2546 $54,462

 

Cost of Attendance:  Fall 2023 and Spring 2024

Student Living with Parent
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $12,534 $29,450

Food $1,600 $1,600

Housing $6,462 $6,462

Books & $906 $906

Supplies

Transportation $3,840 $3,840

Personal  $4,044 $4,044

Total $29,386 $46,302

 
 Cost of Attendance:  First and Second Summer 2023
Student Living in a Residence Hall (On Campus)
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $3,289 $7,537

Food $1,726 $1,726

Housing $3,036 $3,036

Books & $453 $453

Supplies

Transportation $1,280 $1,280

Personal  $1,348 $1,348

Total $11,132 $15,380

 
Cost of Attendance:  First and Second Summer 2023
Student Living in an Apartment (On Campus or Off Campus)
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $3,289 $7,537

Food $1,726 $1,726

Housing $3,036 $3,036

Books & $453 $453

Supplies

Transportation $1,280 $1,280

Personal  $1,348 $1,348

Total $11,132 $15,380

 
 Cost of Attendance:  First and Second Summer 2023
Student Living with Parent
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $3,289 $7,537

Food $556 $556

Housing $2,154 $2,154

Books & $453 $453

Supplies

Transportation $1,280 $1,280

Personal  $1,348 $1,348

Total $9,080 $13,328

 
Cost of Attendance:  First or Second Summer 2023
Student Living in a Residence Hall (On Campus)
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $3,289 $7,537

Food $863 $863

Housing $1,518 $1,518

Books & $453 $453

Supplies

Transportation $640 $640

Personal  $674 $674

Total $7,437 $11,685

 
 Cost of Attendance:  First or Second Summer 2023
Student Living in an Apartment (On Campus or Off Campus)
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $3,289 $7,537

Food $863 $863

Housing $1,518 $1,518

Books & $453 $453

Supplies

Transportation $640 $640

Personal  $674 $674

Total $7,437 $11,685

 
Cost of Attendance:  First or Second Summer
Student Living with Parent
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $3,289 $7,537

Food $278 $278

Housing $1,077 $1,077

Books & $453 $453

Supplies

Transportation $674 $674

Personal  $640 $640

Total $6,411 $10,659

Cost Resources
The following links can provide more precise information regarding cost:

 Tuition & Fees: Office of Budget & Planning

 Housing: Residential Life
 Meal Plan: LSU Dining
 Books & Supplies: LSU Bookstore

Research & Teaching Assistantships

Assistantships of $22,000 per year are available for MS students, with a

duration of appointment of 21 months. Assistantships for PhD students start at
$28,000, with a duration of appointment of five years. Increases to
assistantships are made periodically to reflect increases in university fees and
cost of living expenses. These increases are made for incoming and existing
students.

Cost of Attendance:  Fall 2023 and Spring 2024

Student Living in an Apartment (On Campus or Off Campus)
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Tuition & Fees $12,534 $29,450

 Cost of Attendance:  Fall 2023 and Spring 2024
Student Living in an Apartment (On Campus or Off Campus)
Louisiana Non-Louisiana
 
Resident Resident

Food $5,192 $5,192

Housing $11,030 $11,03

Books & $906 $906

Supplies

Transportation $3,840 $3,840

Personal  $4,044 $4,044

Total 37,2546 $54,462