(599d) Gourmet Science: Fostering Interdisciplinary Engagement through a Food-Themed Chemical Engineering Elective

Expanding the reach of chemical engineering education beyond its traditional boundaries requires innovative course design, with interdisciplinary electives playing a key role in enhancing student engagement and broadening academic perspectives. This presentation introduces Gourmet Science, an exciting new elective that contextualizes core chemical engineering principles through the universally relatable lens of food. Open to all undergraduate students and designated as a core natural science course, Gourmet Science invites learners to explore the scientific and engineering foundations of cooking techniques and reactions, food production and preservation, and sensory perception.

Food serves as an ideal medium for illustrating a wide range of chemical, biological, and technological concepts, making abstract or complex technical ideas tangible and comprehensible. This course covers fundamental topics such as heat transfer, phase transitions, polymer engineering, reaction kinetics, and molecular behaviors, all grounded in everyday processes related to food. Active learning strategies—including demonstrations and simulations, practical projects, and creative assignments like analyzing the technical elements of a recipe—are central to the course design.

By connecting core chemical and biological engineering principles to familiar cooking and baking practices, this course enhances engagement and accessibility for students representing STEM and non-STEM fields. Moreover, by integrating scientific literacy and engineering methodologies with societal and policy considerations, Gourmet Science fosters a global perspective on food and analyzes the role of science and engineering in everyday life, advancing interdisciplinary knowledge and attracting a broad student audience. By emphasizing practical and creative approaches, this elective cultivates an appreciation for the interconnectedness and breadth of chemical engineering concepts beyond the traditional curriculum. This presentation will include insights from previous experience developing and delivering general interest engineering courses, effective strategies for course design, challenges in teaching cross-disciplinary electives, and approaches to maximizing student engagement.