Student Program at a Glance

Dr. Pranav Chintalapati, co-chair of the student program committee will welcome student delegates and provide an overview of the 2022 conference student program.

Two keynote speakers will then present their reflections on the conference theme “Imagining a health and prosperous world”, Dr. Naoko Ellis and Dr. Orlando Rojas. Dr. Naoko Ellis is a Professor and Associate Director of the Clean Energy Research Centre at the University of British Columbia, she is also the Chair of the 2022 Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference. Dr. Orlando Rojas is a Professor, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Bioproducts and Scientific Director of the Bioproducts Institute at the University of British Columbia.

The target audience for this session is undergraduate students. However, all conference attendees are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Keynote Speaker Biographies

Naoko Ellis

Dr. Naoko Ellis is a professor in the UBC Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering with a profound desire to help create a low carbon future. Her expertise in multiphase systems, especially in fluidization is applied through biomass utilization and CO2 capture. She is curious about how learning with and from “others” – crossing the disciplinary boundaries – can inform and frame the complex societal problems we face. Her current projects include Transdisciplinary Collaborative PhD Program for Climate Emergency development, Carbon Capture Utilization and Sequestration road mapping, and renewable natural gas production among others.

Orlando Rojas

Dr. Orlando Rojas is a Canada Excellence Research Chair at the University of British Columbia, under a program that supports world‑renowned scientists. In this condition he is the Director of the Bioproducts Institute and shares affiliation with three departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry and Wood Science. Part of his research group operates in Aalto University, Finland: Bio-based Colloids and Materials. His core research mainly deals with nanostructures from renewable materials and their utilization in multiphase systems. Prof. Rojas is the first Latin-American to receive the Anselme Payen Award, established by the American Chemical Society in 1962, the highest recognition in the area of cellulose and renewable materials.

During this 3-hour workshop, CJCE Editor-in-Chief João B. P. Soares and Wiley Journal Publishing Manager Alex Castro will provide expert insight into the publishing world of scholarly and technical papers. In this workshop, you will learn how to efficiently prepare a clear and well-organized manuscript, how the peer review process works, how to expedite your manuscript’s review (and acceptance) as well as details about the publishing process, how to promote your published paper, and future trends and developments in scientific publishing. For a preview of some of the themes that will be discussed, see Professor Soares’ recent article “Publication Tips: How to write scientific articles that master the publication process and communicate your ideas efficiently”, which is currently free-to-read. This workshop will also provide a hands-on opportunity for you to review and critique several abstracts and learn the elements that make an abstract effective and impactful. Register now.

Speaker: Kazim Agha 

Intellectual Property (IP) refers to ideas or creations of the mind.  Intellectual property can be a key business asset for any entity, providing significant commercial value.  As such, having a broad understanding of IP is extremely important.

The workshop will provide an understanding of the different types of IP, such as, patents, copyright, trademark, trade-secret, and their requirements.  Emphasis will be placed on utility patents during the workshop.  At least one case-study with attendee engagement and interaction will take place, which should help the attendees appreciate the different types of IP and factors to take into consideration.  Finally, the workshop will discuss utility patents and the requirements for obtaining them.

This workshop focuses on providing essential skills for you to meet other professionals. You will learn and practice how to introduce yourself, give a short pitch about your accomplishments and ask relevant questions to other professionals. What you learn you will be able to apply throughout the conference, and the rest of your career.

Hear graduates from chemical engineering and chemistry programs speak about their unique career paths and give advice on how you can set yourself up to land your dream job. Our panelists will speak about how their backgrounds in chemical engineering have led to their current roles starting companies that serve the booming EV sector, investing in clean technology businesses, developing and managing intellectual property, and working in biotechnology. Learn more about the panel.

The 3-Minute Pitch (3MP) competition follows the spirit of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT)® competition that originated at the University of Queensland. This session is an opportunity for graduate students to showcase the innovation and impact of their research, as well as their innovative chemical engineering business ideas, to a wider audience of the chemical engineering community.

Participants have three minutes or less to present their research pitch to a panel of non-specialist judges. The challenge is to present complex technical information in an engaging, accessible, and compelling way.

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The Graduate Studies & Career Fair is a great opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to meet representatives from universities and industry. Students can learn about the exciting research that is at the forefront of chemical engineering, as they decide where to pursue their graduate studies as well as the exciting opportunities that are available to them in their postgraduate career paths.

You are invited to attend the workshop, A Path to Leadership: Discovering an Effective Way to Listen presented by Professor Marc A. Dubé. Please sign up to confirm your attendance. 

Synopsis: There is a constraining way that we listen to others; a way that we all bring to every situation. This way of listening distorts what is actually going on and leads us to make ineffective decisions. This workshop will help you discover how this way of listening operates in your life, and how you can master it in situations requiring your leadership.

Presenter: Professor Marc A. Dubé, Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Ottawa

Intended audience: The workshop is intended for those interested in developing their leadership skills; including undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, professors and industrial practitioners 

Abstract: When exercising leadership and indeed, when just trying to live our lives, we all bring a powerfully constraining way of listening to every situation. Life is made up of a series of situations – you are never NOT in a situation – so this constraining way of listening is always present. This workshop will help participants discover how this type of listening gets in the way of their performance in situations requiring their leadership. We will explore how this type of listening occurs for you, how it shapes and constrains the situations you are dealing with and how that impacts your ability to exercise leadership in those situations. You will get access to how you can overcome this type of listening as a pathway towards effective leadership. In addition, we will help you discover a powerful way of listening that is essential to leaders.

Time for a coffee break!

You are invited to attend the workshop for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Please sign up to confirm your attendance. 

Title: Allyship for Everyone

Synopsis: The most innovative engineering and science is done by teams of diverse people; this has been repeatedly shown by peer-reviewed research. But we only capture the benefits of diverse teams when everyone feels included. This workshop will help you prepare and practice being an effective ally and create an inclusive environment where great science happens.

Presenters: Heidi Yang, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) and CEO of Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia

WinSETT Centre Facilitator

Intended audience: The workshop is intended for those interested in becoming effective allies for under-represented groups in STEM; including undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, professors, and industrial practitioners. Certificates of completion will be provided to all participants. Please consider this for Continuing Education hours. 

Abstract Title: Allyship for Everyone

Abstract Text: A professional WinSETT facilitator will lead participants through a 90 minute skill building workshop to:

• Explore a model for allyship for more inclusive workplaces
• Practice a simple framework for allyship using reactive and proactive cues
• Identify how gender and virtual environments impact allyship
• Explore strategies to be a more effective ally

The workshop emphasizes discussion, self-reflection, and experience-based learning.  WinSETT designed this workshop based on the latest scientific research for a pandemic/post-pandemic context and included proven strategies to change your environment and allow everyone to contribute their greatest potential.

More information coming soon.

The Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) offers the CSChE Plant Design Competition for students enrolled in undergraduate chemical engineering programs at Canadian universities.

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