Announcements

Arthur Chan wins 2019 Early Career Teaching Award

At yesterday’s 12th Annual Celebrating Engineering Excellence Reception, Prof. Arthur Chan was presented the 2019 Early Career Teaching Award. Prof. Chan joined ChemE in 2013 and quickly became a favourite among students, who describe him as one of the most enthusiastic and knowledgable professors they have ever encountered. Read more.

Jane Howe’s research on cosmic dust reveals new insights on the formation of solar systems

The study of a tiny grain of stardust — older than our solar system — is shining new light on how planetary systems are formed. Using advanced ion and electron microscopes, Prof. Jane Howe and team observed the arrangement of carbon atoms and its variants, known as carbon isotope anomalies, and discovered the presolar graphite grain contained oxygen-rich silicates — something they did not expect to see. Their observation gives new insights into the conditions of a dying star. It also contradicts the scientific hypothesis that the two types of stardust material, oxygen- and carbon-rich — which are presolar building blocks in the formation of a solar system — could not form in the same nova outburst, under the same conditions. Read more.

How Sandra Odendahl is leading change in sustainability

How do you convince bankers to care about sustainability? That was the challenge Sandra Odendahl (ChemE MASc 9T0) faced nearly 20 years ago. As the senior leader in charge of environmental risk management at RBC, she believed that the institution needed to think more broadly about corporate sustainability in all aspects of its business dealings and operations. Read more.

Ajay Kochhar aims to clean up the lithium-ion battery supply chain

Less than three years ago, Li-Cycle was little more than a drawing on the back of a napkin in a Yorkville coffee shop. Today, it is on the verge of an international expansion that could fundamentally alter the way that lithium-ion batteries are recycled. “Tim Johnston, my co-founder, and I initially sketched out the Li-Cycle process in late 2016,” says Ajay Kochhar (ChemE 1T3), the company’s co-founder, President & CEO. Kochhar describes Li-Cycle as a resource-recovery company focused on creating a closed-loop supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. Read more.

CEGSA Semi-Formal: Free tickets for faculty/staff!

CEGSA is hosting its annual Semi-Formal on Friday, June 7 at the Fifth Grill and Terrace located at 225 Richmond Street West. This year it’s a Speakeasy theme. Festivities will begin at 6pm. The department has purchased 10 tickets for faculty/staff, which will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. THERE ARE THREE TICKETS LEFT! If you are interested in claiming one of these tickets, email jennifer.hsu@utoronto.ca by Wednesday, May 15! Tickets for guests are $50/person.

May 3, 2019

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CHEM ENG NEWS is a weekly summary of news, events and opportunities for students, faculty and staff of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry. If you have questions or comments, please contact: external.chemeng@utoronto.ca. Catch up on missed issues by visiting our archive.