Kimberly Ogden, PhD

2025 Distinguished Department Head Award

Professor Kimberly L. Ogden is the current chair of the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (CHEE). She holds Ph.D., MS, and BS degrees in Chemical Engineering. Professor Ogden has been an active and prolific faculty member of CHEE since 1992, with a robustly funded research program encompassing bioreactor design for production of alternative fuels from algae and sweet sorghum, and microbiological water quality.

Professor Ogden previously served the University of Arizona as an interim Vice President of Research, where she spearheaded a multidisciplinary research strategic planning process and headed the Research, Discovery & Innovation (RDI) Office. She is a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Her commitment to our land-grant mission is exemplary, as demonstrated by her active outreach programs, such as leading an NSF GK-12 effort over many years. A second example is her leadership bringing together the team for Indige-FEWSS (Indigenous Food Energy Water Security Sovereignty Training Program), which enabled foundations for initiatives including the Indigenous Resilience Center. Kim is well-respected and regarded on campus in terms of creating big teams and securing significant multi-million dollar grants, including a recent $70 million effort, jointly funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bridgestone.