Engineering Lab Renovated to Accommodate Increased Enrollments

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 1, 2017) — University of Kentucky engineering students have a new laboratory space. A renovation of the Chemical Engineering Unit Operations Laboratory in the basement of the F. Paul Anderson Tower will accommodate the recent increase in undergraduate chemical engineering class sizes.

Over the past year, the laboratory underwent a full renovation, including upgrades of the utilities, lighting, lab benches and floor. The overall size of the lab increased by 30 percent, and a number of new experimental modules were added.

"The undergraduate laboratory experience in engineering is one of the most formative elements of the curriculum, as our students are called upon to apply and extend classroom knowledge, function effectively in teams, and grapple with observations and data sets that don’t always come out textbook perfect," said Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering Chair Douglass Kalika.

The renovation of the lab was made possible by financial gifts from engineering alumni Michael Marberry and S.J. Whalen. The flooring was donated by chemical engineering alumnus Rick Crouch.

Juniors and seniors use the facility to conduct experiments that explore the core concepts of fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering and separations, and range from traditional operations, such as distillation to bioprocessing and membrane separation technology.

"Outstanding facilities breed creativity and collaboration," said UK College of Engineering Interim Dean Larry Holloway at the lab's dedication on Friday. "They are critical for attracting the best faculty and students to our program, as well as allowing our faculty, staff and students to achieve their fullest potential."