what does a chemical engineer do ?

Hi Nerissa,

Great question! 

Chemical engineering is a broad field that deals with the design, manufacture, and operation of plants and machinery involved in the development of new materials or substances. Chemical engineering is really about transforming raw materials (such as wood, metal, plastics, etc.) into useful products that people truly depend on a daily basis, like food, clothes, energy, and much more. Additionally, chemical engineers consider the world's resources, protect the environment, and make sure health and safety standards are met.

A chemical engineering degree is multidisciplinary and includes all the topics of a chemistry degree, but with additional classes of mathematics (that include calculus and statistics), computer science, and engineering courses. Chemical engineering students will study combined aspects of physics and math related to heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and equipment design. 

There will always be a demand for chemical engineers in the job market! They help solve some of the world's largest problems. Some chemical engineers work together with environmental engineers and find solutions to various environmental issues such as pollution control or cleaning up toxic waste. Other chemical engineers collaborate with chemists and design new drugs, medical devices, or chemical products (like toothpaste, soap, etc.). 

If you become a female chemical engineer, there are countless fields you could enter into - many currently male-dominated industries are actually actively seeking female candidates in order to broaden diverse perspectives in their business! While studying chemical engineering, I would encourage you to identify which courses interest you the most, and then try to find a field that employs those topics. 

Best,
Amie