University chemical engineering veterans returned to their roots Friday to reunite with classmates and past instructors, hear talks from prominent alumni and see where the Department of Chemical Engineering is headed. The department celebrated its centennial Friday as alumni and retired faculty returned to campus for the commemoration. The celebration, held in the Energy, Coast and Environmental Building Rotunda, included talks from Chancellor Michael Martin, first lady of Louisiana Supriya Jindal and accomplished alumni and faculty,  The department is looking to build a new chemical engineering building, said Kalliat Valsaraj, chairman of the Chemical Engineering Department. The department will double in size and will contain better, larger labs with the latest technology, he said.Valsaraj said the department has produced many CEOs, site managers, deans and other faculty positions throughout the past century.John Medina, 1965 chemical engineering alumnus, said he is very thankful to the University and department for helping him be successful in his career. Medina was the executive vice president of the NAFTA region of Degussa GmbH, which changed to Evonik Degussa GmbH in 2007.”I am most thankful for advice from my professors,” Medina said. “It was because of LSU I was able to be successful … I feel it is my responsibility and duty to return to LSU.”Ronald Rousseau, chemical engineering alumnus of 1966, is the chairman of the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech. He said one of the department’s accomplishments is its overall growth. He was also impressed by his former instructors.”The exposure to faculty when I was a student stimulated me to think of academia as a career,” Rousseau said. “An accomplishment I find is research by faculty and their pursuit of winning funding for the department.”Valsaraj said in the past 100 years, the department has provided service and capabilities to the surrounding area through research and graduates. “We hope to grow in size and contribution in the next 100 years,” Valsaraj said.