Claremore Native Named RSU Chemical Engineering Program Director

[Link]A key element has been added to RSU's new chemical engineering program with the hiring of its new program director.

Dr. Alexander "Alex" Lopez has been selected to head up RSU's chemical engineering program as director. Lopez also will serve as head of the Department of Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

In December 2022, it was announced that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education voted to approve a chemical engineering program at RSU - the first engineering degree to be offered at the university.

Classes for the degree were first offered in the fall 2023 semester, but with cohorts now advancing in their studies, the hiring of a program director was the next planned step in the program's expansion.

"The key feature I want students to know about this (chemical engineering) program is its personalized approach," Lopez said. "Many universities offer world-class experiences with state-of-the-art equipment in large complexes, but these perks often come with large class sizes and limited access to faculty - typically requiring students to work for their benefit through academic research.

"Our goal is to put student interests first and empower them to succeed and pursue their desired career within the chemical engineering profession," he said.

A Claremore High School graduate, Lopez earned his bachelor's degree and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in chemical engineering from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. After graduation, he became a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Colorado-Boulder and later joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi.

Lopez said he learned of RSU's new chemical engineering program through an informal conversation with a colleague, who asked if he might know of any viable candidates to be the program director.

"I told him that I'd grown up in Claremore," he said, "and it piqued my interest, so I looked into it. I didn't want to seriously consider applying if the university wasn't serious about the program because chemical engineering requires a lot in terms of resources and commitment from the university."

Lopez said he later returned to Claremore to meet with RSU's Academic Dean Dr. Susan Willis and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Richard Beck and was struck by their commitment to the program.

"I was impressed not only with the faculty's desire and determination for the program's success, but also by the interest of the students in the mock class I held," he said. "There were 20 students that attended. To have that kind of a student turn out for a class they didn't have to go to and for which they got no academic credit spoke to me that there was a high interest. I was very pleased with my findings when I visited campus."

Following this, Lopez submitted his application, went through the interview process, was hired during the spring 2024 semester and has been on campus in his new role since earlier in July.

"This will be a successful program, and for it to achieve the level of success we're expecting, collaboration between the department, the university, and local industry is essential," he said. "Together, we must design and implement degree pathways that equip students for success in the modern chemical engineering industry.

"The field is vast and rapidly evolving," he continued. "With the advancement of AI and machine learning, along with the growing demand for chemical engineering expertise in energy, biotechnology and environmental sciences, there is a significant opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the region and the state of Oklahoma."

Willis is excited for Lopez to join the faculty and lead the chemical engineering program.

"Dr. Lopez has excellent chemical engineering education experience," said Academic Dean Dr. Susan Willis. "He is originally from Claremore, so he's very excited to build a quality program here and he has local knowledge to build partnerships as we develop a top chemical engineering program in northeast Oklahoma."

For more information about Rogers State University's chemical engineering degree, visit www.rsu.edu/ChemicalEngineering.

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