Philanthropic support propels innovation in the CEMS Unit Operations Lab

Recent philanthropic gifts are transforming the CEMS Unit Operations (Unit Ops) Lab, a core space for the two-course sequence that anchors the undergraduate chemical engineering experience. In Unit Ops, students work collaboratively to run experiments, interpret data, and connect classroom concepts with real-world applications. Thanks to donor support, the lab is entering an especially exciting phase of renewal and innovation.

This spring, Junior Unit Ops will debut a custom, continuous stirred tank reactor experiment focused on enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of sucrose, an addition students and faculty had been requesting for years. “The project was fast tracked due to generous support for this novel addition,” said Kim Kosto, teaching professor and director of the Unit Ops lab. “Students and faculty had been urging for a reactor experiment, and donors made it possible.”

The new Unit Ops continuous stirred tank reactor experiment setup.

In addition to the new reactor equipment, several classic experiments are receiving redesigned front panels, updated instrumentation, and improved modularity. These updates not only modernize the equipment but also support a flexible lab layout, allowing experiments to be repositioned anywhere with utility connections.

These enhancements have meaningful curricular impact. “Reactors are a hallmark of chemical engineering,” Kosto noted. “The new reactor sequence enables students to leverage fundamentals learned in the fall reactors course during hands-on experimentation in the spring Junior Unit Ops Lab.” The updates also support the broader vision for the lab as it evolves to meet changing student and industry needs.

In recent years, the Unit Ops curriculum has been re-envisioned to emphasize teamwork, mixed communication modes, software and coding, and tighter integration with separations and design coursework. Unit Ops instructors now incorporate informal team meetings, concise client memos, and expanded resources on pump sizing, statistics, writing, presenting, and team building. These changes reinforce the lab’s capstone role in preparing students to become confident, adaptable problem solvers.

Looking ahead, Kosto sees even more opportunity for growth. When asked what upgrades she would make if money were not an obstacle, Kosto said that she imagines adding a fully automated control system to mirror industry environments, fast-tracking updates to classic experiments, and reimagining the entire lab footprint with flexible workspaces, refreshed finishes, improved lighting, modular pilot-scale utility hookups, and even a glass wall to give visitors a window into “the transformative space that is chemical engineering unit operations.”

Philanthropic support is already accelerating that vision, expanding hands-on opportunities, strengthening the curriculum, and ensuring the Unit Ops Lab continues to prepare the next generation of chemical engineers.

Learn more about the CEMS Unit Ops Lab by watching this lab tour. Please note that this video was filmed prior to the addition of the new reactor experiment.