The Future is Bright for CEBC Graduate Students and Postdocs

There is a growing trend in industry for reducing waste and dealing with environmental concerns, as highlighted in a 2006 Nature article. CEBC graduate students and postdocs are uniquely trained to meet this need. The majority have found permanent employment in industry, and a third of the CEBC-trained students have been hired by CEBC member companies, including ConocoPhillips, DuPont, Archer Daniels Midland, and Eastman.

Here's how the numbers stack up: 85% of graduate students and postdocs have been hired by industry; 15% have taken faculty positions. As of May 2009, 20 CEBC students earned PhDs and six earned Masters degrees.

In addition, five graduate and two undergraduate students have participated in internships.  These experiences help students learn about industrial research practices and find employment. For example, one intern was subsequently hired by DuPont.  Five CEBC Industry Members (ADM, Proctor & Gamble, DuPont, Novozymes, and UOP) currently sponsor student internships.

Jing Fang, PhD Chemical Engineering, KU, 2009

Matthew Sherrill, PhD Chemistry, KU, 2009

Brandon Long, M.S. Chemical Engineering, KU, 2009

Carmen Owen, M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, UI, 2009

Elijah Thimsen, MS Chemical Engineering, WUStL, 2009