The University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering boasts one of the nation’s top doctoral programs in chemical engineering. That’s according to the most recent evaluation of Ph.D. programs released by The National Academies’ National Research Council, widely considered the most sound and respected rankings in academia.
Based on data from 2005, the chemical engineering Ph.D. program placed 18th in the country in the NRC’s survey-based rating, which measures a program against standards set by members of its discipline. By this metric, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering bested its counterparts at nearby institutions such as Rice University and Texas A&M, as well as at highly regarded universities from around the country, including Cornell, Penn State and Georgia Tech. The University of Texas at Austin was the only school in the region to rank higher.
The department fared even better in the NRC’s research activity evaluation, which factored in publications, citations, the percent of the faculty holding research grants, and recognition of scholarship as evidenced by honors and awards. In this category, the college’s chemical engineering Ph.D. program ranked 13th in the country.
“Though these rankings are a bit dated, they reveal the strength of this department,” said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chair of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Cullen College. “While I’m very happy with our performance, with the addition of outstanding faculty members and the growth we’ve undergone in recent years, I’m confident that today, we would rank even higher.”