• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds

Hofman leads Roane State’s new chemical engineering technology program

Posted at 9:55 pm March 19, 2019
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

Laura A. Hofman

Laura A. Hofman

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Laura A. Hofman had been on the job for just over one month, and the phone in her office was ringing off the hook.

She oversees Roane State Community College’s new two-year Associate of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering Technology. Prospective students are inquiring about the new program, which the Tennessee Board of Regents approved in December.

An information session about the new program will be held on Thursday, March 28, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the college’s Oak Ridge campus, 701 Briarcliff Avenue. Check-in will be held in the lobby of the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building.

A recent job notice from a local government facility lists completion of the college’s new program as a requirement, and that spurred the interest, Hofman said.

“This new degree program meets a critical skills gap in our community,” said Markus Pomper, dean of the division of Mathematics and Sciences.

Established with the assistance of UCOR, CNS, Tate and Lyle, and additional partners, Roane State’s chemical engineering technology program trains students to work as chemical operators. A chemical operator monitors, controls, and troubleshoots automated chemical processes.

“We developed this program with valuable input from three large employers in our area, and we are excited about offering this opportunity to our students,” Pomper said.

Hofman, the program director, shares Pomper’s excitement. “The opportunity for these (chemical engineering technology) students is phenomenal,” she said.

Hofman said her job now is three-fold: get the new program up and running, recruit and enroll students, and “work with employers to ensure the program and graduates of the program will support employers’ hiring needs.”

Her goal, she said, “is for this program to develop a reputation where if a company has an opening for a chemical engineering technologist, they’ll want a Roane State graduate.”

The three chemical engineering technology classes being offered in the spring semester are being held at night on the Oak Ridge campus, along with Saturday sessions at the WACKER Institute, a pilot plant on the Chattanooga State Community College campus.

Hofman has a PE in Chemical Engineering and has used her expertise at nuclear plants and processing facilities across the country. She brings 35 years of engineering experience to her position as director of the college’s newest educational opportunity.

“I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work, and I know the value of a background in chemical engineering technology,” she said.

For more information about the program visit roanestate.edu/chemtech, or contact Hofman at (865) 354-3000, ext. 2220, or [email protected].

More information will be added as it becomes available.

This story was submitted by Owen Driskill.

Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, contributors, and subscribers. This is a free story. Thank you to our advertisers, contributors, and subscribers. You can see what we cover here.


Do you appreciate this story or our work in general? If so, please consider a monthly subscription to Oak Ridge Today. See our Subscribe page here. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today.

Copyright 2019 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: College, Education, Front Page News, Top Stories Tagged With: Roane State

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Education News

Roane State celebrates construction milestone for new health science campus in west Knoxville 

Submitted Roane State Community College and its nonprofit Foundation hosted a ceremony on July 2, 2024, commemorating a major milestone in the construction of the college’s new Knox Regional Health Science Education … [Read More...]

UCOR awards $45,000 in STEM education mini-grants

Submitted Drones, a manufacturing simulator lab, and hands on meteorology are among the classroom projects that United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) will fund through its 2024 mini-grants. UCOR awarded $45,000 in … [Read More...]

ORHS graduation could be rescheduled, moved depending upon weather

Rain and thunderstorms are possible Friday and Saturday, and the Oak Ridge High School graduation could be rescheduled or moved depending upon the weather. Oak Ridge Schools announced the plan on Tuesday. ORHS … [Read More...]

School staff not allowed to carry guns

Oak Ridge Schools will not allow teachers and other staff members to carry guns in buildings, Superintendent Bruce Borchers said Wednesday. Borchers made the announcement in a notice sent to school families. His … [Read More...]

Bruce Borchers

Borchers to discuss schools on Tuesday

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers will discuss the state of the schools during a lunchtime meeting on Tuesday. The presentation will be hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. The Lunch with … [Read More...]

More Education

Recent Posts

  • Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival Announces 2025 Storytellers
  • Laser-Engraved Bricks Will Line Walkway of New Chamber Headquarters
  • Democratic Women’s Club to Discuss Climate Change, Energy and Policy
  • Estate Jewelry Show at Karen’s Jewelers Features Celebrity Jewelry
  • Keri Cagle named new ORAU senior vice president and ORISE director
  • ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal+ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal More than $1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares Oak Ridge, Tenn. —ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares nonprofit organizations. ORAU has raised more than $1 million over the past 10 years through this campaign. A total of $126,839 was pledged during the 2024 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares or both. “ORAU has remained a strong pillar in the community for more than 75 years, and we encourage our employees to consider participating in our annual giving campaign each year to help our less fortunate neighbors in need,” said ORAU President and CEO Andy Page. “Each one of our employees has the power to positively impact the lives of those who need help in the communities where we do business across the country and demonstrate the ORAU way – taking care of each other.” ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, provides science, health and workforce solutions that address national priorities and serve the public interest. Through our specialized teams of experts and access to a consortium of more than 150 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to provide innovative scientific and technical solutions and help advance their missions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakRidgeAssociatedUniversities Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/orau Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orau ###
  • Children’s Museum Gala Celebrates the Rainforest
  • Jim Sears joins ORAU as senior vice president
  • Oak Ridge Housing Authority Receives Funding Assistance of up to $51.8 Million For Renovating Public Housing and Building New Workforce Housing
  • Two fires reported early Friday

Search Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2025 Oak Ridge Today