UTSA adds doctoral program in chemical engineering

JUNE 5, 2023 — UTSA is launching a doctoral program in the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (Klesse College). Students will be able to enroll in the PhD in chemical engineering program in August 2023 pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

A generous $500,000 gift from Margie and Bill Klesse laid the groundwork for the creation of this doctoral program. It will support graduate fellowships and experiential learning opportunities that will prepare students to be leaders in chemical engineering.

With a strong commitment to the prosperity of students, STEM programs and the city of San Antonio, Margie and Bill Klesse have a long history of giving to the university, dating back to 1995. The pair was instrumental in helping UTSA launch its undergraduate degree program in chemical engineering with a $1 million gift that established the Klesse Unit Operations Laboratory in 2017

“Gaining a PhD program in chemical engineering in the Klesse College at UTSA is incredibly important to our faculty and students.”

The Klesses also committed a transformational $20 million gift to the university, resulting in the naming of the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design. The historic gift is advancing student success through the creation of new endowments for student scholarships, faculty support and programs to promote student success.

“Margie and I are proud to support the very bright, diverse and ambitious students at UTSA and are very pleased to see the new doctoral program in chemical engineering come to fruition,” said Bill Klesse. “Students in this doctoral program will become experts in their area of study in chemical engineering and will have the skills and education to solve the challenges facing the world and helping to develop a more sustainable future. We appreciate and thank the University of Texas System for approving this degree program for UTSA and South Texas.”

Klesse College leaders see the Ph.D. program as the next step in elevating UTSA as a destination for excellence.

“Gaining a PhD program in chemical engineering in the Klesse College at UTSA is incredibly important to our faculty and students,” said JoAnn Browning, UTSA interim vice president for Research, Economic Development and the Knowledge Enterprise and former dean of the Klesse College. “It enables our faculty to perform the highest level of research in fields that cross the energy, materials, bioengineering and environmental disciplines. And, it provides more pathways for our students to realize their dreams of becoming experts in these important areas.”

The Klesse College offers eight certificate programs, nine undergraduate programs, 15 master’s programs and, with this new addition, six doctoral programs. Of the nearly 4,300 students in the Klesse College, 158 are currently enrolled in the undergraduate chemical engineering program. 

“The PhD program will allow us to continue to grow the impact of research and educational programs from UTSA in areas critical to South Texas and the nation,” said Eric Brey, interim dean of the Klesse College and the Edward E. Whitacre, Jr. Endowed Chair in Mechanics. “Our chemical engineering faculty are performing outstanding research and will be able to train future leaders in this competitive and necessary field of study.”

— Katrina Kehoe