It is really exciting that people are interested in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. There are many other topics in chemical engineering that you will start loving when you start reading them. 

If you are genuinely interested in the subject then it will completely be your effort in approaching the professors to learn and to study more. 

There are not many professors in the department. Most of them are Ad-hoc teachers who will be teaching the subject. If you wish to go for higher studies, it will be your effort in asking the faculty to help you out. 

If you talk about the placement scenario, there are only a few core companies that visit the campus along with a lot of non-core companies. Overall, college life is good in the department of chemical engineering.