Welcome Three New CBE Faculty Members
The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State is excited to welcome its newest cohort of faculty members. Bringing cutting-edge expertise in areas ranging from bio-inspired sustainable materials and synthetic biology to advanced polymer chemistry and accessible engineering education, these educators and researchers will drive innovation, advance critical technological solutions and inspire the next generation of engineers.
Aaron Frye joins the department as an assistant teaching professor. He earned his bachelor’s degree (2012) and his Ph.D. (2026) in chemical engineering from NC State University. His research has focused on developing eco-friendly chemical reactions to boost production yields and reduce the carbon footprint of industrial manufacturing. Prior to returning to NC State, Frye worked for nearly a decade in industry for ExxonMobil. He will focus on bringing industry perspectives into the classroom including process safety, design principles and process troubleshooting.
Tao Gao joins the department as an associate professor. He earned his bachelor’s degree (2010) and his master’s (2012) in mechanical engineering from Tsinghua University, and his Ph.D. (2017) in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland. He then completed a postdoc in chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was an assistant professor at the University of Utah. His research focuses on developing fast-charging and low-temperature lithium-ion batteries through innovative electrolyte design and synthesis.
Chang Lu joins the department as a professor. He earned his bachelor’s degree (1998) in chemistry from Peking University and his Ph.D. (2002) in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Afterward, he completed a postdoc in applied physics at Cornell University. He was a professor at Purdue University for five years before going to Virginia Tech where he became the Fred. W. Bull Professor of Chemical Engineering. His research interests include microfluidic biotechnology, precision medicine, epigenomics and gene regulations, genome technologies, single cell analysis, cancer, immunology, and brain development and function.
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