Two CERC members Dr. Kasun Hewage and Dr. Peter Englezos among 21 engineers across Canada who will be inducted as 2025 EIC Fellows in the spring. They are among four experts in UBC being recognized for excellence in engineering and their services to the profession and society by the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC).
Dr. Peter Englezos is a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the UBC Vancouver campus who has over 35 years of research experience in clathrate hydrates (ice-like crystals with guest molecules trapped inside “cages” of hydrogen-bonded water molecules). His work has contributed to applications like carbon dioxide capture, desalination, flow assurance, energy storage, and understanding how the earth’s methane hydrates can contribute to climate change.
Dr. Kasun Hewage is a professor and chair of the civil engineering program at UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering, as well as the Associate Director of UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre. He is a recognized leader in life cycle management of built assets, green construction and smart energy planning, with his work informing the BC Energy Step Code, provincial policies on internationally transferred mitigation outcomes, FortisBC energy incentives, and municipal-level public transit electrification.
UBC President, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon spoke at Peter Wall Legacy Awards ceremony. Photo Courtesy of UBC VPFO Communications & Engagement and Martin Dee Photography.
During the Peter Wall Legacy Awards ceremony last week, UBC President, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, in the presence of Dr. Peter Wall himself, presented awards to inaugural recipients of the Wall Fellowships and Wall Research Awards, funded by the $100M+ Peter Wall Endowment and valued at a total of $4M annually. All projects align with three key areas of focus: urban sustainability, environmental protection of coastal areas, and sustainable approaches to resource-intensive industries, with a particular emphasis on the province of B.C. This year’s award recipients are leading a diverse range of research projects on issues in the province, from climate change to biodiversity loss, sustainable transportation, energy storage, urban water systems, and biodiversity conservation.
Two CERC members were each awarded Wall Research Awards – Individual Faculty Awards ($80,000) and eight CERC members were part of four Wall Research Awards – Team Faculty Awards ($200,000). At the same time, five CERC HQPs (graduate student researchers) were each awarded Wall Research Awards – Graduate Student Awards ($25,000 for Master students and $30,000 for PhD students). We at CERC are thankful for Dr. Wall’s donations, which enable UBC clean energy research community to advance the energy transition. The CERC members who received the awards are listed below, together with their team members when relevant. For the details of each project and recipients, please visit https://walllegacyawards.ubc.ca/awardees/
Individual Faculty Awards
Dr. Jean-Thomas Cornelis, CERC member Assistant Professor in Soil Science Project title: Back to the Future – Revitalizing Indigenous land stewardship to enhance soil health and build resilient food-forest systems in British Columbia
Dr. Kathryn Harrison, CERC member Professor & McLean Family Chair in Canadian Studies Project title: The New Politics of Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Team Faculty Awards
Project Title: Development of Organic Redox Flow Batteries for Clean Renewable Energy Storage Applications
From left to right: Dr. Eva Nichols, Dr. Kiana Amini, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, Dr. Qingshi Tu. Photo Courtesy of UBC VPFO Communications & Engagement and Martin Dee Photography.
Team: Dr. Kiana Amini (Lead PI, CERC member, assistant professor at Materials Engineering), Dr. Eva Nichols (assistant professor at Chemistry); Dr. Qingshi Tu (CERC member, assistant professor at Wood Science)
Project Title: Creating an integrated thermochemical and biological platform for waste valorization in British Columbia
From left to right: Dr. Ryan Ziels, Dr. Heather Trajano, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, Dr. Tony Bi. Photo Courtesy of UBC VPFO Communications & Engagement and Martin Dee Photography.
Team: Dr. Heather Trajano (Lead PI, CERC member, associate professor at Chemical and Biological Engineering); Dr. Xiaotao Tony Bi (CERC director, professor at Chemical and Biological Engineering); Dr. Ryan Ziels (CERC member, associate professor at Civil Engineering)
Project Title: An Artificial Photosynthesis Device to Generate Green Methanol Fuel from CO2
Team: Dr. Eva Nichols (Lead PI, assistant professor at Chemistry); Dr. Eric Lees (CERC member, assistant professor at Chemical and Biological Engineering); Dr. Alexander Uhl (CERC member, assistant professor at UBCO School of Engineering). Shown in the picture above, left to right, in the same order.
Project Title: Human-centered design for sustainable transportation in British Columbia: An inclusive approach to infrastructure design based on diverse experiences of walking and cycling
Team: Dr. Alexander Bigazzi (Lead PI, associate professor at Civil Engineering); Dr. Kelly Clifton (CERC member, professor at School of Community and Regional Planning); Dr. Todd Handy (professor at Psychology); Dr. Eli Puterman (associate professor at School of Kinesiology). Shown in the picture above, left to right, in the same order.
Graduate Student Awards
Thais Ayres Rebello, Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, UBC Okanagan
Rudri Bhatt, Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability, UBC Vancouver
Elnaz Ghahremani Rad, Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering, UBC Okanagan
Imranul Laskar, Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability, UBC Vancouver
Neha Sharma-Mascarenhas, Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability, UBC Vancouver
First row from left: Dr. Tony Bi, Dr. Kathryn Harrison, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson. Second row from left: Dr. Carol Liao, Dr. Zerriffi Hisham, and Dr. Naoko Ellis.
Dr. Tony Bi (CERC director), Dr. Naoko Ellis (CERC Associate Director), Dr. Kathryn Harrison (CERC member), Dr. Zerriffi Hisham (CERC member), together with Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson (Citizen of and General Counsel to the Haida Nation) and Dr. Carol Liao (Co-Director, UBC Centre for Climate Justice) are featured in the recent “Collective Wisdom” Section in UBC Magazine to answer the question: “What developments in the transition to clean energy make you most optimistic?”.
This year’s symposium centred on four critical themes: Clean Energy and Energy Storage Systems, Carbon Reuse, Reduction, and Recycling, Carbon-Source Regulation in Artificial Photosynthesis, and Carbon-Neutral Computing. These themes reflect the urgency of addressing climate challenges with cutting-edge advancements and collaborative global efforts.
UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC) was prominently represented at the symposium. Dr. Naoko Ellis, Associate Director of CERC, gave a Keynote Speech on Biomass Gasification and its Role in Canada summarizing some of the biomass utilization activities at CERC. Furthermore, Dr. Derek Gladwin, an energy educator and CERC member, along with Naoko Ellis presented “Systems Approaches to Energy Transition: Biomass Utilization as Case Studies” (pictured above). Their talk highlighted UBC’s leadership in clean energy research, education, and outreach. By demonstrating the role of systems thinking in energy transitions, they emphasized the need for interconnected approaches to drive meaningful and scalable climate solutions.
Dr. Madjid Mohseni presented on Decentralized Water and Wastewater Systems.
Complementing their presentation, CERC researcher, Dr. Madjid Mohseni discussed “Decentralized Water and Wastewater Systems”, showcasing the Centre’s broad expertise in sustainable resource management. As a key international collaborator, CERC continues to work with global researchers to imagine and implement carbon-negative futures.
Held in Taiwan, a leader in technological innovation and environmental stewardship, the symposium underscored the importance of collaboration and systems thinking in tackling climate change. Through events like this, the global community moves closer to realizing a sustainable and carbon-negative future.
Dr. Patrick Kirchen, CERC’s Associate Director (Operation) Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC
Congratulations to Dr. Patrick Kirchen on being named the inaugural holder of the Rosenblatt Professorship in Marine Engineering at UBC! As Rosenblatt Professor, Dr. Patrick Kirchen will research sustainable fuels for ship propulsion, gathering real-world data on how different fuel options may apply to different maritime applications.
Dr. Patrick Kirchen is an associate professor and an Associate Head at UBC Mechanical Engineering and the principal investigator of Thermochemical Energy Conversion Lab.
Two CERC members: Dr. Holly Caggianoand Dr. Walter Mérida, together with two UBC Alumni: Dr. Terre Satterfield and Kookai Chaimahawong are invited to a webinar series on Thursday, December 5, 2024, 12:00pm–1:30pm PT to discuss clean energy technologies and the energy transition policies.
Taken from Alumni UBC webpage: Clean energy technology is here — so why isn’t it used more widely? Let’s take a closer look at what’s hampering our transition towards sustainability. With a focus on economics, politics, human behaviour, the environment, technology, and more, our expert panel will guide us through what’s contributing to resistance or barriers to change. From costs and infrastructure to policies and social values, this live webinar will help us determine how we can advance improvement of our world. As the first webinar in a two-part series, stay tuned for a second session that will showcase how innovative technologies and projects at UBC and in our communities are shaping the future of energy transformation.
This event is part of The University of British Columbia Magazine’s SPOTLIGHT “Power Shift: The Race Towards a Clean Energy Future”.
A report, entitled “Scaling Up: The Promise and Perils of Canada’s Biofuels Strategy” by Associate Professor Werner Antweiler of UBC Sauder School of Business for C.D. Howe Institute stated that Canada has significant potential to produce biofuels due to its vast agricultural resources and experience with conventional fuel production. Biofuels can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy security. The report is relevant with CERC’s theme on Bioenergy Systems & Bioenergy.
Key highlights taken directly from the report are:
Canada has great potential to produce biofuels to aid in the transition to a low-carbon economy, but developing the full potential requires using sustainable feedstocks and driving down production costs.
Canada’s biofuels industry is evolving from first-generation fuel, made from sugar crops, starch crops (e.g., corn), oilseed crops (e.g., soybean, canola), and animal fats, to secondgeneration, made from non-food crops (energy crops such as perennial grasses and fastgrowing trees) and waste biomass.
Next-wave products like sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel, and renewable natural gas all have unique challenges for scaling up production and reducing costs. Recognizing the limitations of industrial policy and letting the market drive innovation will avoid costly subsidies and mistakes.
Biofuel mandates in British Columbia, and at the federal level, set targets for carbon intensity reductions and employ rigorous life-cycle models to assess the carbon intensities of different fuels. Applying these principles nationwide, harmonizing approaches, and reducing the potential for trade frictions, will create a level playing field while incentivizing the most sustainable biofuels.
For BC-specific context of the report, Business in Vancouver (BIV) published a news article, citing the aforementioned report. BIV reporter interviewed Dr. Antweiler for his take on Canadian biofuel policies and politics.
Sara Nawaz, Duncan McLaren, Holly Caggiano, Andrew Dana Hudson & Celina Scott-Buechler
Holly Caggiano (a CERC member from UBC Planning & Public Policy, Rutgers’ Bloustein School) and her co-authors published an article in the prestigious journal — Climate Policy, entitled “Carbon removal for a just transition” (PDF).
Key policy insights
Carbon removal can – and must – be part of a just transition.
As a nascent carbon removal sector emerges, the status quo trajectory suggests significant need for political economic reorientation to align with principles of a just transition.
Radical policy ideas worth exploring further include: purchasing pools to replace offset markets; government support for public and community carbon removal providers; broad and independent public deliberation; and a global reparations fund.
Dr. Shahab Sokhansanj Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, UBC
On Friday, October 25th, 2024, BC Bioenergy Network announced the five winners of the 2024 BC Bioenergy Sector Awards during a virtual ceremony. This was the fourth annual celebration of the BC Bioenergy Sector Awards. These awards recognize outstanding leadership and contributions to British Columbia’s bioenergy sector. Traditionally, three winners are honoured, but this year, the calibre of nominees was so impressive that the recognition was expanded to five outstanding leaders. Dr. Shahab Sokhansanj, a CERC member, Adjunct Professor at University of British Columbia, the principal investigator of Biomass and Bioenergy Research Group was awarded the Researcher Award 2024.
Two CERC members — Dr. Jongho Lee from UBC Civil Engineering and Dr. Feng Jiang from UBC Forestry, along with Dr. Simcha Srebnik from UBC CHBE, are among the first cohort of researchers to receive $53,000 in annual renewable funding from the newly launched UBC Collaborative (CoLab) PhD Program. Piloted by UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS), this collaborative project aims to train students from various disciplines to create innovative climate solutions, focusing on stormwater management and heatwave mitigation using artificial trees that absorb stormwater and cool environments through evaporation. The researchers and their students are developing infrastructure that can act as both a stormwater management system and a cooling mechanism, transforming buildings into “trees” to save space and resources. The project aims to address extreme weather impacts like heatwaves and heavy rainfall. The program emphasizes cross-disciplinary training, with students meeting monthly over 2 years to share research and skills. Workshops and retreats further enhance collaboration. This funding not only supports immediate research but also aids in developing future proposals, positioning UBC as a leader in climate-focused research and education.
The first workshop hosted in July 2024 (Image Source)
