Darren Lipomi<\/a> thinks chemical engineering is a misunderstood field.<\/p>\n \u201cChemical engineering gets a bad rap because people associate it with developing the forever chemicals that are invading the environment, the microplastics catastrophe, global warming, and environmental degradation,\u201d he says. \u201cBut you can\u2019t have modern life without chemical engineering. The goal should be to make it better and part of the solution.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Lipomi, chemical engineers are critical to environmental protection efforts such as improving green energy production methods like solar and wind, developing lithium-ion batteries, and making heat exchange in computation more efficient. \u201cI believe chemical engineering is at the center of the bullseye in society\u2019s efforts to solve our looming environmental threats,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n As the new chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering<\/a> at the University of Rochester<\/a>, Lipomi has made it his mission to educate the public about the field\u2019s promise while helping aspiring academics understand the intricacies of higher education. A prolific podcaster, he reaches thousands of people each month who are interested in chemical engineering and academia through his X account<\/a> and YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n