"Luis Ricardez-Sandoval believes that he owes his scientific development to Canada and therefore has no plans, at least for now, to return to Mexico.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering arrived in the land of maple in 2004 with his wife, Nelly Carvajal, to carry out his doctoral studies at the University of Waterloo.
Previously, he remarks, he had worked for some time in the manufacturing and petroleum industry in Mexico.
The compatriot highlights the incentives that he found in Canada to develop his lines of research.
“My projects are supported by the Federal Government of Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Mitacs Canada, the Provincial Government of Canada: Early Researchers Award (ERA), the Ontario Ministry of Science and Innovation, and many private companies in various sectors,” he explains.
Luis acknowledges that one of the major contributions to his professional development at the University of Waterloo was the way in which the University motivates and supports its faculties to pursue their own lines of research.
“This grants us access to funding opportunities which allow us to do high-impact, multidisciplinary research and attract students with great potential from a variety of countries, including Mexico,” he says.
In this sense, the engineer mentions that since starting his career as a researcher at the University of Waterloo he has tried to generate opportunities for Mexican students to do short-term visits [to Canada], or to study in graduate programs abroad.
“My intent is to continue doing this in order to promote the scientific and technological development of our country,” he expressed.
As for whether he plans to return to Mexico, Luis indicated that, for now, his plans are in Canada, the country in which he and his wife are both citizens, and where their two children were born.
“It is a multicultural country, that has opened doors for my professional development and for which we have a great appreciation and fondness,” he shares.
“For now Canada is my home, and I feel very comfortable developing my research at the University of Waterloo, however, the world is full of opportunities and we never know what the future holds.”
Currently, the Mexican is working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the [University of Waterloo].
His research group focuses on the development of theoretical and computational tools to achieve the optimal design and operation of process equipment; they are also developing mathematical models and advanced control systems for state of the art carbon dioxide (CO2) capture systems and energy productions systems, as well as new mathematical models that allow for the improvement of industrial systems."