Celebration for new chemical engineering building

25 Jun 2012

The School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science (CEAS) held a celebration at its new home, the James Chadwick Building, on Thursday 21 June.

Brian Cox with final year UGs Tom Murphy, Sofia Norberg and Sammy Alkhalaf

The first phase of what will be a five-storey, 11,500 square metres building, on the corner of Booth Street East and Upper Brook Street, is now complete.

The final £30 million building will see further expansion of the School thanks to its outstanding research facilities, teaching laboratories and enquiry-based learning (EBL) facilities.

Named after Sir James Chadwick, the Manchester alumnus and English Nobel laureate in physics awarded for his discovery of the neutron, it will also house a sophisticated industrial pilot plant.

The chemical engineering programme at Manchester has been growing steadily, underpinned by its outstanding reputation and excellent job prospects of graduates.

President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell and Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences media star Professor Brian Cox joined the Head of School Professor Mike Sutcliffe and the CEAS team at the celebration.

Professor Sutcliffe said: “I would like to say thanks to our fantastic team, within the School and in Estates, who have been working very hard to make this happen.

“This ambitious and modern building gives chemical engineering staff and students the environment they deserve. As one of a small group of elite Chemical Engineering departments within the UK, it is vital we have the facilities to match.

“Our broad research base in which engineers and scientists work seamlessly together enables us to study the design, operation and integration of different complex systems – particularly industrial, biological, and instrumentation – and apply chemical engineering in a 21st century context.

“The new building will significantly enhance the student experience – allowing us to further develop cutting edge teaching methods underpinned by state-of-the-art laboratory equipment coupled with a modern, enabling learning environment.”