Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Outreach

Creating a pipeline to STEM success

We create and engage in outreach programs to expand access to the STEM pipeline from elementary through graduate school and beyond. Through these events, we aim to make science open to all and demonstrate the need for chemical engineering to address a myriad of societal challenges. 

  • The St. Elmo Brady STEM Academy (SEBA) program provides project-based learning activities in science, technology, engineering, and math for local elementary and middle school students. SEBA aims to encourage an interest in STEM for students from underrepresented backgrounds. SEBA also broadens participation through early exposure to STEM, builds STEM literacy, and fosters family and community support systems to encourage STEM learning. In alignment with our mission to foster a supportive environment for all members of our university community, this organization is open to all eligible students regardless of race, color or national origin who have an interest in encouraging diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. 
  • WYSE Summer Camps at the Grainger College of Engineering are designed to provide STEM-interested students the opportunity to experience advanced curricula at one of the best engineering schools in the nation and the world. The camps provide exposure to different areas of engineering through demonstrations, classroom presentations, hands-on activities, and interactions with various students, staff, and professors in those fields.
  • SpHERES is a program that is targeted to rising juniors or seniors at Champaign-Urbana high schools who are interested in careers merging interests in biology and engineering. Students will conduct research in one of several labs—ranging from Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience, Bioengineering, Micro & Nanotechnology Laboratory, and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. 
  • Each fall, the Merge Campus Visit Program provides an opportunity for students with various experiences and goals, and who come from many educational, socio-cultural, geographic, and familial backgrounds to explore and consider Grainger Engineering graduate programs. The Merge Campus Visit Program supports prospective students through pre-application seminars, program-specific connections, and campus visits. 

Recruitment Conferences

Each year, the Assistant Director of Student Wellness and Advocacy attends a variety of conferences across the nation to recruit prospective graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty. Please meet us in 2025-26 at the following events:

National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE )
September 22-25, 2025  |  Atlanta, Georgia
Conference website: Conference - NOBCChE

Society for Women Engineers (SWE)
October 23-25, 2025  |  New Orleans, Louisiana
Conference website:  WE25: Join Engineers in New Orleans with SWE

Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Sciences (SACNAS) 
October 30 - November 1, 2025  |  Columbus, Ohio
Conference website: NDiSTEM 2025 | SACNAS

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
March 18-22, 2026  |  Baltimore, Maryland
Conference website:  NSBE2025 Convention

To learn more about our participation at these recruitment conferences, please reach out to the Assistant Director of Student Wellness and Advocacy.