Creating Multidisciplinary Curricular Paradigms: Bioprocessing and Chemical Engineering

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The Department of Chemical Engineering at NC State University proposes a cross-disciplinary, multi-functional, lab-integrated series of courses in bioprocessing as the crown in a chemical engineering option focused on biotechnology. The proposed curricular innovation integrates several elements of cooperative learning, teaming, communication, and basic technology skills known to be desirable in the workforce, i.e. GMP, GLP, and process validation. Novel features of the proposed curriculum include: active involvement and participation of faculty and students from 9 departments and 3 Colleges; in-depth integration of experiments, computer simulation, and cooperative learning lectures; active participation by representatives of local pharmaceutical and bioprocessing companies in structuring, designing, and teaching the courses; integration of essential employment-related information into the curriculum; and focus on communications and teaming. The proposed curricular paradigm is a shift away from conventional department-based, lecture-style courses. The proposed 3-course sequence, if successful as gauged by proposed assessment tools, can be applied to the microelectronics, nanotechnology, and polymers portions of our curriculum. The protocols developed for implementation and assessment can be used by any engineering program to integrate cooperative learning, multidisciplinary teaming, and communication into their curriculum.