[eJ Na department THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY CAROL HYMAN The John Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 21218 OHN HOPKIN UNIVERSITY, John Hopkins Uni­ J versity, John's Hopkins University, The Johns Hopkins University. Never has a university's name produced so many variations. In brief, Johns was the founder's mother's maiden name, and unfortunately for him, he inherited a last name for a first name. Despite the frequent misspellings and confusion, The Johns Hopkins University has a long and presti­ Maryland Hall photo by Alan Bearden gious history. Founded in 1876, Hopkins established itself as the first true American university on the European model; a graduate institution in which School of Advanced International Studies in Washing­ knowledge would be created as well as taught. As ton, DC, with centers for foreign studies in Bologna, early as 1913 engineering became an integral part of Italy, and Nanjing, China; the Peabody Institute, one this university, creating the foundation for what of the leading music schools in the United States, lo­ would later become the G.W.C. Whiting School of En­ cated in downtown Baltimore; and the Applied gineering. Physics Laboratory in Columbia, Maryland, a scien­ The Schools of Engineering, Continuing Studies, tific and engineering research facility. and Arts and Sciences, and the Space Telescope Insti­ tute are located on the Homewood campus in north BALTIMORE Baltimore on a 140-acre wooded campus in a residen­ tial area. The campus was originally the Homewood The Hopkins community shares in the exciting, na­ estate, built for Charles Carroll, Jr., son of a signer tionally recognized, urban renaissance of Baltimore. of the Declaration of Independence. The university Baltimore is no longer just a place to drive around on was given the estate in 1902. the way to New York from Washington. The city now In addition to the facilities at the Homewood cam­ boasts the "Inner Harbor," a waterfront area that in­ pus, The Johns Hopkins University's academic divi­ cludes the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science sions and research institutions include the world-re­ Center, and shops and restaurants in two glass pavil­ nowned schools of medicine, public health, and nurs­ ions. The Baltimore Museum of Art, adjacent to the ing, all located at the East Baltimore campus; the Hopkins campus, houses excellent permanent collec­ © Copyright ChE Division ASEE 1987 tions and attracts important traveling exhibitions. 112 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which has a the use of computers; both graduate and under­ superb new symphony hall, the Morris Mechanic graduate students have access to the department's Theatre, which presents Broadway touring companies computers which include four Micro-VAX computers, and pre-Broadway tryouts, Center Stage, and the a PDP 11/45, a PDP 11/40, and a PDP 11/34, several Baltimore City Opera are just a few of the many in­ PC's and the School of Engineering's VAX 8600 and stitutions providing entertainment for Baltimoreans. AT&T 3B20. And who could pass up watching the Baltimore Despite its apparent youth, the department has a Orioles play at Memorial Stadium, just a short walk history of distinguished alumni, including several now from the Homewood campus. A good bet for seeing a teaching at a variety of colleges and universities in home team win would be watching the University's this country and abroad. These include Simon Goren own championship lacrosse team, the Blue Jays. Since (Berkeley), Robert Anderson (McMaster University), their first season in 1888, the Blue Jays have had 73 Robert Sparks (Washington University), George winning seasons and have won 41 national champion­ Frazier (University of Tennessee), Gerald Esterson ships. Festivals abound in Baltimore. Its many ethnic Renaissance is also an applicable term communities stage weekend galas throughout the to use when discussing chemical engineering at spring and summer, and the city sponsors the annual The Johns Hopkins University. After existing in City Fair and the Artscape Festival. Not to be left some form or another from the 1930s until 1967, the department was reestablished in 1979 with out, Hopkins holds its own Spring Fair, "3400 On the rest of the engineering school. Stage." The fair is organized and run by students, with revenues benefitting student organizations. The (Hebrew University), Eric Bauer (Case-Western Re­ Hopkins Fair draws Baltimoreans from every corner serve), Irvin Glassman (Princeton), Kenneth Keller of the city. (President, University of Minnesota), John Falconer ENGINEERING AND ChE (University of Colorado), Ralph Kummler (Chairman, Wayne State) Stanley Middleman (University of Perhaps it is appropriate that just about the time California, San Diego), James Douglas (University of the Baltimore urban renaissance began in 1979 the Massachusetts), Robert Edwards (Chairman, Case­ G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering was founded. Western Reserve), and Edward Fisher (Chairman, Today a full complement of undergraduate and Michigan Technological University). graduate-level programs exist , including the largest THE FACULTY part-time graduate engineering program in the coun­ try. Along with chemical engineering, the Whiting Marc Donohue, chairman of the department since School departments include biomedical engineering, 1984, came to Hopkins in 1979. He saw the potential civil engineering, electrical engineering and computer for a stimulating environment that would allow close science, geography and environmental engineering, interaction with the students. "An outstanding fea­ and materials science and engineering. ture of Hopkins is the intimate atmosphere," he says. Renaissance is also an applicable term to use when The university runs on a system much like the British discussing chemical engineering at The Johns Hopkins system in which students receive considerable indi­ University. After existing in some form or another vidual attention (almost comparable to private tutor­ from the 1930s until 1967, the department was reestab­ ing) from the faculty. This is possible because of the lished in 1979 with the rest of the engineering school. small student/faculty ratio in the department. It is The full-time faculty now numbers seven, but plans common to find Donohue in his office with one of his are underway to increase the size of the department. advisees, hashing out a problem. The department also has ten part-time members, in­ Donohue teaches a popular undergraduate course, cluding several who are on the staff of the Applied "Ethical Questions in Engineering," and he stresses Physics Laboratory. In 1988 the department will oc­ its importance. "Engineering is the discipline that cupy part of a new engineering building, adding to its translates scientific advances into products for soci­ existing facilities. Chemical engineering's facilities ety. As such, an engineering education must include now include laboratories for research in fluid mechan­ attention to the adverse effects of that technology," ics, heat and mass· transfer, nucleation, rheology, he says. "We strive therefore to both provide the tech­ acoustics, phase-equilibria, electrochemical engineer­ nical foundations necessary for students to function as ing, separation processes, and biochemical engineer­ engineers and to instill a sense of sensitivity to social, ing. political, and environmental issues that the future The department places a great deal of emphasis on leaders of the engineering profession will face." SUMMER 1987 113 He is particularly proud of the undergraduate re­ The research of Joseph Katz involves nucleation search program, funded by a grant from the Exxon processes (e.g., condensation of supersaturated vap­ Foundation. The program enables a dozen under­ ors, boiling of superheated liquids, condensation in graduates each year to participate in meaningful re­ flames, void formation in solids) and equations of search while earning salaries competitive with indus­ state. He has also worked at the nearby National try. Last year several students published papers that Bureau of Standards, studying combustion-generated resulted from their work in the program, and all of ceramic materials. Katz, like Donohue, came to Hop­ the participants continued studies in graduate schools. kins in 1979 from Clarkson with the expectation of In fact, since the program began three years ago, only "high-quality students and shorter winters." His ex­ one participant has not gone on for further study. pectations were met. And, like Donohue, he ap­ Donohue, his wife, and his two small children like preciates the intimacy that "comes with a class of fif­ to spend their free time hiking, camping, and bicycle teen instead of ninety students." At Clarkson, Katz riding. Many weekends find them riding the trail that began his teaching career after a number of years in leads from Washington, DC, to Mt. Vernon, Virginia. industry. "I prefer teaching students how to do re­ William Schwarz has the longest association with search," he says. "You can't do that in industry." Katz Hopkins. He received his BS, MS, and DrEngr de­ initiated the participation of undergraduates in re­ grees at Hopkins. His areas of research include non­ search projects at Clarkson. In fact, Donohue did un­ Newtonian fluid dynamics, rheology, physical acous­ dergraduate research there with Katz. tics of fluids, turbulence, and biotechnology; He is cur­ Robert Kelly specializes in separation processes rently collaborating with physicians and speech