March 9, 2026
Clean Energy Research Centre is happy to announce the two recipients of John Tiedje Fellowship 2024-2025!
Recipients of John Tiedje Fellowship 2024-2025
Ishanka Perera, PhD Candidate, UBCO School of Engineering, Civil Engineering
Biography: Ishanka Perera is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s Life Cycle Management Laboratory. His research focuses on the intersection of building science, environmental sustainability, and human health. Prior to his doctoral studies, Ishanka earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, before completing his Master of Applied Science (MASc) at UBCO. During his MASc, Ishanka developed a comprehensive methodological framework to facilitate the implementation of the BC Energy Step Code across British Columbia’s diverse climate zones. His work provided a life-cycle emissions- and cost-based framework to enhance the sustainability of new multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) and achieve the STEP code performance goals. Building on this expertise, Ishanka’s PhD research adopts an occupant-centric approach to high-performance residential constructions. His current work seeks to balance energy efficiency and carbon mitigation with Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) to improve occupant health and well-being. He aims to redefine how the industry measures residential building performance and to implement building energy codes by integrating indoor environmental quality through a holistic pre-construction design assessment framework. Ishanka actively collaborates with key industrial partners, including Fortis BC, BC Housing, and Mitacs Canada, to advance a resilient, sustainable building stock and mitigate climate change impacts across the Canadian residential sector.
Katherine Latosinsky, Master Student, UBCO School of Engineering, Electrical Engineering
Biography: Katherine Latosinsky is a Master’s student in Electrical Engineering at UBC Okanagan who is developing new technology for solar energy generation. Her research on solution-processed tandem solar cells lays the foundations for high-efficiency solar panels manufactured with low-cost methods similar to inkjet printing. Katherine also leads the Solar Energy Ambassador high school outreach program at UBCO. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Science at the University of Toronto.
Learn more about Katherine in this Student Spotlight article.
About the Award
John Tiedje was a graduate of the Department of Chemical Engineering at UBC who went on to a successful career with Imperial Oil, where he was responsible for developing several new processes for converting petroleum into value-added products. He served as manager of Esso Frances research lab in Mont-Saint-Aignan, France; as manager of the Esso Petroleum Canada Research Department in Sarnia,Ontario, until his retirement in 1983; and as chair of the Canadian Committee for the World Petroleum Congress.
Fellowships is awarded to students whose research will help create and maintain a healthy environment, with preference for research developing clean and renewable energy, advancing the electrification of the economy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or improving the efficiency of energy utilization.