New Chemical Engineering Chair Appointed

By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education

Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Engineering has named a Florida State University professor chair of its Chemical Engineering department.

Michael H. Peters. Ph. D., comes to VCU from Florida State, where he was a professor and chair of that school’s department of chemical and biomedical engineering. He also was a clinical assistant professor in Florida State’s College of Medicine.

“I feel we are most fortunate to have been able to attract a person of Dr. Peters’ caliber,” said VCU School of Engineering Dean Robert J. Mattauch. “His vision for developing a new program that will integrate chemical engineering and the life sciences embraces a revolutionary view of the future.”

Peters’ research areas include biomedical engineering, small molecule drug design and receptor mediated processes. He will be working to develop chemical and life sciences engineering programs that tap existing programs in chemical engineering, life sciences and medical sciences at VCU.

Peters’ work also will involve stem-cell tissue engineering, bioinformatics and genetic engineering.

“The engineering aspects of these fields rely heavily on many of the basic principles and foundations of traditional chemical engineering, but it will move VCU into a contemporary leadership role in what will be the first national program of its kind in Chemical and Life Science Engineering,” said Peters.

Peters received a Ph.D. and a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from Ohio State University, and a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Dayton. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, which recognized his work in molecular computations and statistical mechanics, and has won numerous university teaching awards.

“I am extremely excited about the truly unique opportunities at VCU,” said Peters. I think VCU School of Engineering has the potential of becoming a top tier program in a very short time – all of the ingredients are there.”