The goal of the year-long Chemical Engineering Innovation Project (ChIP) is to provide freshman, sophomore, and first-year transfer students with hands-on technical experience. In teams, participants learn and apply process design and process controls by building a small-scale system – usually a coffee machine within a budget of $100. This project introduces technical skills including Arduinos, circuitry/soldering, and operating machinery in the Makerspace.

Timeline: Join in fall, present in spring. No applications necessary!

The Lifetime Engineering Applications Project (LEAP) provides students with industry applications of theories learned in class. Over the course of a quarter, students work in teams to model processes using AVEVA PRO/II, a process simulation software also used in the senior capstone course. This project involves various unit operations and economic analysis techniques, culminating in a final technical presentation to professors and peers alike. 

Timeline: Join at the beginning of any quarter! This project is a quarterly commitment, with a new project at the beginning of each quarter. Members are welcome to participate in LEAP multiple times.

In Chem-E-Cube, students design and build a chemical process in a one-cubic foot plant. The competition goes beyond the plant itself and involves a business proposal, poster, and video presentation to a team of mock investors. For the 2024-2025 year, our team competed at the national level, this time expanding on the direct air capture problem statement from the previous year by adding a regeneration component for the adsorption material. For 2025-2026, our team will once again be competing at the National level! 

Timeline: Apply late winter, work through spring and summer, compete during fall at Nationals

In Chem-E-Car, students research, design, experiment, and collaborate with team members to build a shoebox-sized car fueled and stopped purely by chemical reactions. This project hones students’ research and laboratory skills, as well as builds on the CAD, Arduino, and circuitry skills learned in ChIP. Beyond building the vehicle, several workshops are held to develop skills in students looking to join the team.

Timeline: Apply during spring for the following school year, and compete during the following spring at Regionals. Transfer students can apply during fall.