Lucas Landherr
Teaching Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, Chemical Engineering
Contact
- l.landherr@northeastern.edu
- 360 Huntington Avenue
201 Cullinane Hall
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Social Media
Office
- 221 Cullinane
- 617.373.8646
Research Focus
Development of comics, visualization, and modules for novel STEM teaching tools for all-ages education
About
Dr. Lucas Landherr joined the Chemical Engineering Department in the fall of 2012, and has since been conducting engineering education research into novel teaching techniques for undergraduate and K-12 STEM education. He has focused on the development of comics to teach complex science and engineering concepts, through collaboration with professional and student artists, and his comics have been adopted by colleges throughout the U.S. as well as in the U.K., Belgium, and Denmark. Dr. Landherr is currently a regular contributor to the Chemical Engineering Education journal, producing the Drawn To Engineering comic, and is the engineering consultant helping to develop the Crash Course Engineering series with PBS Digital.
Dr. Landherr previously received his Bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College in 2005 with an honors thesis studying drag-reducing polymers. He then completed his Ph.D. at Cornell University in 2010, developing and characterizing thin polymer films and brushes as nanoscale lubricants. While at Cornell, he received a GK-12 NSF Fellowship, with which he designed curriculum and physics experiments for high school classrooms. In 2012, Dr. Landherr completed an NRC Postdoctoral Research Associateship with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where he conducted research on polymeric interactions with superhydrophobic surfaces.
Education
- B.S. (Chemical Engineering) Lafayette College, 2005
- Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering) Cornell University, 2010
Honors & Awards
- American Society of Engineering Education Ray W. Fahien Award – 2019
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers Award for Innovation in Chemical Engineering Education – 2018
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers 35 Under 35 Award – 2017
- American Society of Engineering Education Northeast Section Outstanding Teacher Award – 2016
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- Omega Chi Epsilon Professor of the Year Award – 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Dr. R. H. Sioui Award for Excellence in Teaching – recipient in 2015, 2020; honorable mention 2019
- College of Engineering Fostering Engineering Innovation in Education Award – 2017
- Faculty Leadership Award, Northeastern student chapters of SWE, SHPE, BESS, SASE, 2019
- Gratitude Award, Northeastern LGBTQA Resource Center, 2019
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- Provost Grant for Advancing Undergraduate Teaching and Learning – Recipient, 2015
Teaching Interests
- Unit Operations
- Process Control
- Transport
- Thermodynamics
Leadership Positions
- AIChE Societal Impact Operating Council, chair 2019 (vice chair 2018, past chair 2020)
- AIChE K-12 Committee, chair 2020
- AIChE national conference Co-Programming Chair, 2021
- ChemE Dept. Undergraduate Education Committee chair 2020-
- ChemE Dept. Student Awards Commitee chair 2014-2020
Professional Affiliations
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers
- AIChE Societal Impact Operating Council, member 2015-2021
- AIChE K-12 Committee, co-founder
- AIChE Disabilities OutReach and Inclusion Committee, co-founder
- American Society of Engineering Education
Research Overview
Development of comics, visualization, and modules for novel STEM teaching tools for all-ages education
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
Recent Publications:
- L. Landherr. Crash Course: Engineering, Serving as Engineering Consultant /Curriculum Writer, Youtube Series in Affiliation with PBS Digital, 2018-2019.
- L. Landherr. Integrating Comics Into Engineering Education To Promote Student Interest, Confidence, and Understanding. Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference, 2019.
- M. Vigeant, J. Cole, K. Dahm, L. Ford, L. Landherr, D. Silverstein, C. West. How We Teach: Thermodynamics, Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference, 2019.
- L. Landherr, M. Keszler. Drawn to Engineering: Illumination, Chemical Engineering Education, 53(3), 2019, 145-146.
- L. Landherr, M. Keszler. Drawn to Engineering: Evolving Your Teaching, Chemical Engineering Education, 53(2), 2019, 67-68.
- L. Landherr, M. Keszler. Drawn to Engineering: Idea Theft, Chemical Engineering Education, 53(1), 2019, 63-64.
- L. Landherr, M. Keszler. Drawn to Engineering: Exams Are Alive With The Sound Of … Music?, Chemical Engineering Education, 52(4), 2018, 294-295.
- L. Landherr, M. Keszler. Drawn to Engineering: Skeleton Notes, Chemical Engineering Education, 52(3), 2018, 221-222
- L. Landherr, M. Keszler. Drawn to Engineering: Diversity Statement, Chemical Engineering Education, 52(2), 2018, 115-116
- L. Landherr, M. Lubchansky. Drawn to Engineering: Answering Questions, Chemical Engineering Education, 52(1), 2018, 31-32
- L. Landherr, M. Keszler. Drawn to Engineering: Presenting Audiences, Chemical Engineering Education, 51(4), 2017, 163-164
- L. Landherr, M. Keszler. Drawn to Engineering: Humor in Exams, Chemical Engineering Education, 51(3), 2017, 126-127
- L. Landherr, M. Lubchansky. Drawn to Engineering: Problem-Solvers, Chemical Engineering Education, 51(2), 2017, 62-63
- L. Landherr, C. Pfluger, R.A. Koppes. The River Project: an Open-Ended Engineering Design Challenge from Bench-Scale to Pilot-Scale, Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference, 2018
- M. Vigeant, D.L. Silverstein, K.D. Dahm, L.P. Ford, J. Cole, L. Landherr. How We Teach: Unit Operations Laboratory, Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference, 2018
- L. Landherr. The Production of Science Comics To Improve Undergraduate Engineering, Proceedings of the ASEE Northeast Section Conference, 2016
STEM Comics:
- “Gene Therapy.” Simonson, Z. (w) and Keszler, M.. (p). Ed. By Shepherd, D. Boston, MA: Northeastern University. 2016
- “Assumptions.” Cogswell, C. (w), Shepherd, D. * (w), and Pietsch, C. (p) Boston, MA: Northeastern University. 2016
- “Refrigeration Cycles.” Shepherd, D. * (w) and Keszler, M. (p) Boston, MA: Northeastern University. 2016
- “Recycle and Purge Streams.” Shepherd, D. * (w) and Lubchansky, M. (p). Boston, MA: Northeastern University. 2016
- “Fugacity.” Shepherd, D. * (w) and Cooke, J. (p). Boston, MA: Northeastern University. 2016
- “Heat Exchangers.” Shepherd, D. * (w) and Lubchansky, M. (p). Boston, MA: Northeastern University. 2016
- “Feedback Controls.” Shepherd, D. * (w) and Lai, M. (p). Boston, MA: Northeastern University. 2015
- “Uncertainty.” Shepherd, D. * (w) and Kahl, A. (p). Boston, MA: Northeastern University. 2015
- “Data Analysis.” Shepherd, D. * (w) and Sparks, B. (p). Boston, MA: Northeastern University. 2015
Other Journal Articles:
- “Interfacial Friction and Adhesion of Polymer Brushes.” Landherr, L.J.T.; Cohen, C.; Agarwal, P.; Archer, L.A. Langmuir 2011, 27, 9387-9395.
- “Effect of Pendent Chains on the Interfacial Properties of Thin Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Networks.” Landherr, L.J.T.; Cohen, C.; Archer, L.A. Langmuir 2011, 27, 5944-5952.
- “Interfacial friction of thin PDMS network films.” Landherr, L.J.T.; Zhang, Q.; Cohen, C.; Archer, L.A. Journal of Polymer Science B, 2008, 46, 1773-1787.
(*- D. Shepherd is the creative pseudonym for L. Landherr)
Apr 01, 2022
Landherr receives two grants from AIChE Foundation
Chemical Engineering Teaching Professor and Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies Lucas Landherr has secured two grants from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Foundation to support K-12 outreach efforts. In order to continue their efforts in creating educational comics as learning tools, the AIChE Foundation awarded Landherr $4k to develop comics explaining how chemical […]
Jan 03, 2022
Northeastern Chemical Engineering Faculty and Alumni Elected to AIChE K-12 Committee Leadership
Northeastern University will be well-represented in the leadership for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) K-12 Committee in 2022, following recent elections by committee members.
Nov 12, 2021
Landherr Serves as Co-programming Chair for National AIChE Conference
ChE Teaching Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies Lucas Landherr served as the Co-Programming Chair for the Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers this week in Boston. Working to coordinate events over the last year and a half, Landherr helped to arrange the plenary talks delivered in conjunction with the meeting’s […]
Nov 30, 2020
Chemical Engineering Students Compete in National AIChE K-12 STEM Showcase
At the national American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) virtual conference this month, chemical engineering students from the Northeastern student chapter of AIChE competed in a STEM module competition, highlighting their outreach efforts to K-12 students from across the country.
Jul 31, 2020
Landherr Named To Meeting Program Chair Team for 2021 AIChE Annual Meeting
Chemical Engineering Teaching Professor Lucas Landherr has been named the Co-Meeting Program Chair for the Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) for the national conference to be held in November 2021 in Boston.
Jul 01, 2020
COE Presents at the 2020 ASEE’S Virtual Conference
College of Engineering faculty, staff, and students, published and presented virtual papers at the American Society for Engineering Education – Virtual National conference.
Jan 02, 2020
Landherr Elected Chair of AIChE K-12 Committee
ChE Associate Teaching Professor Lucas Landherr elected as the Chair of the AIChE K-12 Committee for 2020.
Nov 15, 2019
AIChE Holds 1st K-12 STEM Showcase
On Sunday, November 10, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers hosted the first ever AIChE K-12 STEM Showcase at their Annual Meeting in Orlando, bringing over 150 local students, parents, and teachers on site to interact with and learn from STEM modules. The event was created by Dr. Lucas Landherr, Associate Teaching Professor of Chemical […]
Jul 10, 2019
Landherr Publishes Comic In New Journal "Matter"
ChE Associate Teaching Professor Lucas Landherr, in collaboration with recent graduate Monica Keszler (class of 2019), has published a comic in the new scientific journal, Matter.
Mar 19, 2019
Landherr Awarded the ASEE ChED Fahien Award
Chemical Engineering Teaching Professor Lucas Landherr was recently awarded the Ray W. Fahien Award by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Chemical Engineering Division. This award is given in honor of Ray Fahien, who was editor of Chemical Engineering Education from 1967-1995, and who was effectively the founding father of the journal, establishing it as a premier […]