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Professor Edward Rhodes was a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering from 1964 to 1986. Rhodes was part of the Transport Phenomena Group and conducted research in multiphase flow and boiling heat transfer. Rhodes made significant contributions as chair of the department for 11 years, starting in 1976.

He was a kind and gifted administrator. His life and work influenced many students and young faculty members.

Rhodes’ career accomplishments also included his roles as Dean of Engineering at the University of Calgary, President of the Technical University of Nova Scotia and Vice President at Dalhousie University. He also served as Vice President of Technology for an international petrochemical company.

Rhodes was also known for his artistic side. He loved music and singing, often studying music on his lunch breaks!

He is remembered fondly by many former students, staff and faculty members.

Chemical Engineering Professor Alex Penlidis remembers Dr. Rhodes:

“Ted Rhodes was the department chair when I joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at ��ݮ��Ƶ in 1986. He was first and foremost a kind person and a very astute and flexible administrator. He was an exemplary chair, as he was a good researcher and teacher, kind to students and colleagues alike, and a great administrator, who was interested in resolving issues and situations quickly and effectively."

Professors Michael Tam and Yuning Li have designed a solar-powered desalination device capable of utilizing over 93% of solar energy to produce fresh water from the sea via a thermal evaporation process.

This rate is five times higher than that of current technologies, making it a highly efficient solar-driven desalination system. With a production capacity of approximately 20 litres of fresh water per square meter per day, this device offers a sustainable solution to global freshwater scarcity.

Desalination of water is critical for many coastal nations to produce water for consumption and agricultural activities. Rapid population growth and increasing global water consumption by industry contribute to water scarcity.

Ever heard of the phrase coined by Friedrich Nietzsche, “the devil is in the details”? Professors William Anderson and Boxin Zhao have advanced the battle against microplastic pollution by uncovering the intricate details of how microplastics degrade in the environment. Observation and understanding the fine details of microplastics are key to eradicating them from our environment.

The research group has been able to observe the degradation of micro and nanoplastics with unprecedented detail. In collaboration with the National Research Council (NRC) researchers leveraged 3D imaging technology, which allows for a much deeper understanding of the microplastic degradation process than traditional 2D microscopy.

This detailed observation is the first of its kind, demonstrating the potential of 3D imaging as a powerful tool in microplastic research.

Professor Tizazu Mekonnen’s research group has developed polymer foam that absorbs and locks in oil, preventing groundwater contamination.

The team designed a novel material that can not only absorb hydrocarbon oil from oil spills but can also lock the oil in, preventing it from leeching into groundwater. The porous material designed from special tri-block co-polymers can absorb eight times its weight or 800% of oil upon direct contact.

Electric transformers and other industries have huge oil storage facilities containing thousands of litres of oil which can leak into groundwater due to unexpected accidents and natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes. Groundwater contamination is extremely difficult to clean up. These accidents can lead to serious environmental damage, posing health hazards to wildlife, and people.

Imagine a coat that harnesses solar energy to keep you warm on a brisk winter walk, or a shirt that seamlessly monitors your heart rate and temperature. Picture athletes wearing smart clothing that tracks their performance, all without the burden of bulky battery packs.

Professor Yuning Li's research group has developed a smart fabric with these remarkable capabilities. The fabric can potentially harvest energy, monitor health, and track movement.

The new fabric, designed by the research team, can convert body heat and solar energy into electricity, potentially enabling continuous operation without the need for an external power source. Additionally, different sensors that monitor temperature, stress, and more can be integrated into the material.

A new reverse osmosis (RO) water system was installed in the Chemical Engineering undergraduate teaching labs in the Douglas Wright Engineering Building (DWE) this summer. The new RO system eliminates the need for a large amount of hazardous chemicals and manual operations required for the outdated existing unit while providing a quality and sustainable supply of deionized (DI) water for teaching and research in DWE. The unit was partially funded through the Sustainability Action Fund.

Researchers from the Universitat Duisburg-Essen in Germany and the University of Cambridge arrived at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ in June to participate in ongoing graduate student training aimed at leveraging 2D materials for various manufacturing applications. This international collaboration is supported by an NSERC CREATE grant, with Professor Michael Pope from the Department of Chemical Engineering serving as lead Principal Investigator. Researchers from the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Science and the ��ݮ��Ƶ Institute for Nanotechnology are involved in the collaboration.

The Department of Chemical Engineering is proud to announce the appointment of two of its faculty members as Canada Research Chairs (CRC). The designation of Canada Research Chair is an honour bestowed upon exceptional emerging researchers. Professors Valerie Ward and Tizazu Mekonnen are both trailblazers in their respective fields.

Ward now holds a CRC in Microalgae Biomanufacturing. Her research group uses microalgae to make a variety of products.

Last month, negotiators and interested parties met in Ottawa for the INC-4 to discuss progress on a plastics treaty. A delegation of plastics and microplastics experts from the Water Institute at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ participated with special accreditation from the UNEP. Professor Elisabeth Prince was part of that delegation.

“We had the opportunity to share our expertise in the emerging technologies for mitigating the plastic waste crisis with key decision-makers,” says Prince.

Prince has expertise in synthetic polymer chemistry and polymer science. The delegation from the Water Institute hoped to lend their scientific knowledge to ensure the treaty was well-informed by science because there were many parties with many different interests and motivations throughout the negotiation.

Professor Raj Pal has been identified as a highly-ranked scholar in the field of Rheology by Scholar GPS, a California-based company owned by Meta, that analyses scholarly activity. Highly ranked scholars are among the top 0.05% or better worldwide.

Pal is ranked number six in the world (second in Canada) in the field of Rheology, the science of the deformation and flow of complex substances such as polymers, surfactants, gels, suspensions, emulsions, foams and more. Pal’s research focuses on the rheology and flow of complex fluids through both experimental work and modelling.