Faculty Directory
RL

Rachel A Letteri

Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
Unit: School of Engineering and Applied Science
Department: Department of Chemical Engineering
Office location and address
Wilsdorf Hall, 310B
385 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
Education
B.S. Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 2010
M.S. Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2012
Ph.D. Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2016
Post-Doc Chemistry, Texas A&M University, 2016-2018
Biography

Rachel A. Letteri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering.  After obtaining a B.S. in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, she completed a Ph.D. in Polymer Science & Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst under the direction of Professors Todd Emrick and Ryan Hayward.  From 2016-2018, she conducted postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Professor Karen Wooley in the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University.  Her research interests include materials involving functional polymers, peptides, and interfacial assemblies with applications in medicine and engineering, among others.  Rachel also enjoys sharing science and engineering with others through education and outreach.

Recent sponsored awards as provided by ResearchUVA:
Precision Medicine Exosomal Drug Delivery Medtech for Heart Attack
Source: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universit
June 17, 2019 – December 16, 2020
Recent courses as listed in the Student Information System (SIS) Course Catalog:
CHE 2215: Material and Energy Balances
Credits: 3
Introduces the field of chemical engineering, including material and energy balances applied to chemical processes, physical and thermodynamic properties of multi-component systems. Three lecture and one discussion hour. Prerequisite: CHEM 1610, APMA 1110.
CHE 3347: Biochemical Engineering
Credits: 3
Quantitative engineering aspects of industrial applications of biology including the microbial synthesis of commercial products, environmental biotechnology, and the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals through recombinant microorganisms, transgenic animals, and plants. Three lecture hours. Prerequisite: CHE 2246, CHE 3321, or instructor permission; corequisite: CHE 3318, 3322 or instructor permission.
CHE 4995: Chemical Engineering Research
Credits: 1–3
Library and laboratory study of an engineering or manufacturing problem conducted in close consultation with a departmental faculty member, often including the design, construction, and operation of laboratory scale equipment. Requires progress reports and a comprehensive written report. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
CHE 6447: Biochemical Engineering
Credits: 3
Introduction to properties, production, and use of biological molecules of importance to medicine and industry, such as proteins, enzymes, and antibiotics. Topics may include fermentation and cell culture processes, biological mass transfer, enzyme engineering, and implications of recent advances in molecular biology, genomics, and proteomics. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
CHE 6561: Special Topics in Chemical Engineering
Credits: 3
Special Topics in CHE
CHE 7796: Graduate Seminar
Credits: 1
Weekly meetings of graduate students and faculty for presentations and discussion of research in academic and industrial organizations. May be repeated.
CHE 7995: Supervised Project Research
Credits: 1–12
Formal record of student commitment to project research for Master of Engineering degree under the guidance of a faculty advisor. May be repeated as necessary.
CHE 8998: Master's Research
Credits: 1–12
Formal record of student commitment to master's thesis research under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Registration may be repeated as necessary.
CHE 9999: Dissertation Research
Credits: 1–12
Formal record of student commitment to doctoral research under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Registration may be repeated as necessary.

Selected to the inaugural ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering Early Career Editorial Advisory Board, 2018