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Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a unique technique to create the Janus structures in liquids. Chemical Engineering Professor Milad Kamkar in collaboration with the University of British Columbia leads the first research to achieve this duality with liquids.

This breakthrough can be utilized in a multitude of applications. It could be used in environmental remediation, to clean up oil spills in water or for wastewater treatment. One side could be treated with super absorbent nanomaterial to soak up the oil, while the other side might contain catalysts to degrade the pollution.

Dr. Elisabeth Prince is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering who is working on a solution to the challenge of non-degradable and non-recyclable plastics. Her innovative research in advanced materials has the potential to make a significant impact on sustainability and environmental remediation. It also supports Canada's aim of achieving zero plastic waste by 2030.

Professor Elisabeth Prince, along with an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Toronto and Duke University, have developed hydrogels that imitate human tissue. The synthetic material is made from cellulose nanocrystals, which are extracted from wood pulp. The material is designed to mimic the fibrous nanostructures and properties of human tissues, thereby replicating its unique mechanical properties.

Professor Michael Vitelli had such a positive experience as a student at the University of Waterloo in the Department of Chemical Engineering that he chose to launch his career here.

Vitelli came to the University of Waterloo straight from high school. He decided to pursue a BASc in Chemical Engineering because of his love of math and chemistry in his high school studies.

Professor Jeff Gostick was awarded the 2023 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) offers programs that allow exceptional international researchers to engage in collaborative research with researchers in Japan. This enables discussion and an exchange of ideas

The Honourable Michael Kerzner, Ontario's Solicitor General, visited the Department of Chemical Engineering to show support for a graduate student's project. The student aims to develop innovative materials to create firefighting gear designed to reduce the risk of occupational cancer.

The highest honour for graduates in the Faculty of Engineering is the Alumni Achievement Medal. Baoling Chen, who completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2015 was bestowed this honour in recognition of her exceptional talent for strategic industry partnership development, mission-driven leadership, and disruptive biotechnology research.

Rosemary Niechcial (Class of 1998) leveraged her BASc in Chemical Engineering to create a globetrotting, diverse and successful career. She has worked extensively throughout South America, Australia, the United States and Japan.

“The fact that I chose to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo is key to my success,” says Niechcial. “Although the University of Waterloo definitely is regarded as the best engineering school in Canada and recognized globally, it felt very intimate due to small class sizes in the Chemical Engineering Program and being with the same cohort throughout the years during my undergraduate degree.”

Three Department of Chemical Engineering professors have been named to the 2023 list of Highly Cited Researchers. They are recognized as innovative researchers who demonstrate significant and broad influence in their field(s) of research.

Professors Aiping Yu and Michael Fowler were among the researchers who made the prestigious list. Both Yu and Fowler have expertise in electrochemical engineering and energy storage systems.

As a high school student, Sarah Vandaiyar (Class of 2009) enjoyed her chemistry and math classes and thought a degree in Chemical Engineering was a great mix of those two disciplines.

To this day, Vandaiyar continues to reap the benefits of her decision to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. She feels that her experience as an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemical Engineering prepared her for professional life.