Get to know Dr. McDowell!

Christopher McDowell is the newest addition to the Department of Chemical Engineering! He has extensive industrial experience in the production and business aspects of chemical and biochemical products since 1998, and he also has significant industrial management experience. McDowell graduated from Virginia Tech with his B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1992, and with his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from N.C. State University in 1998. 

Why Virginia Tech? What do you love about VT?

It all started very early as my father is an Agricultural Engineering alumnus (class of 1960). Virginia Tech was the first place I visited as a prospective student in the summer before my junior year of high school and, although I considered other places, I knew right away where I wanted to go. I've been involved as a student, alumnus, sports fan, and adjunct professor since that time. One thing I love about VT is the sense of community. My high school guidance counselor thought I belonged at a smaller school, but once I found my way to Blacksburg, I quickly found multiple small communities (the Marching Virginians, my dorm, my ChE class) where I felt a sense of belonging. I’m excited to be back at Virginia Tech as a faculty member.

How has your industry experience prompted you to become a professor/faculty member?

I have wanted to become a university professor since the summer after my senior year, when I was a teaching assistant for Preston Durrill in the Unit Operations Lab. Even though I decided to go into industry after graduate school, I always kept my toe in academia and hoped that one day I could return. In industry, the assignments that gave me the most satisfaction were when I served as a mentor to interns, colleagues, or my team. I was able to leverage my academic relationships combined with this passion for mentorship into adjunct positions at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and Virginia Tech. This led me to my new position as professor of the practice.

What will your focus be in the Chemical Engineering department? 

My focus will be undergraduate instruction, career advising, and industrial outreach. I also hope to get involved in sustainability, biotechnology, and green chemistry around campus. I will be teaching a course that helps prepare students for industry by learning business and marketing.

What advice do you have for students looking to join the chemical engineering field?

Chemical engineering has led me to a 27 year industrial career that led me to meet many wonderful and interesting people, many of whom became lifelong friends. I have also always found interesting problems to solve! I think it is a great degree no matter what you decide to do with it. My career advice is just to make the next best decision as the decisions come your way. I could not have plotted out my career the way it turned out ahead of time, but every time I had a decision to make, I just tried to make a good one and move forward. That has led me to many great and interesting places, like Nebraska, and back here to Virginia Tech!