ABOUT US
The University of Calgary nanoGroup is a student-led organization founded in 2013 with one central focus: to cultivate and support the nanotechnology community at the University of Calgary Campus. We strive to engage students in a variety of nano-related activities – design projects, outreach programs, academic research, entrepreneurial pursuits and networking with local industry.
We exist to inform the public of the opportunities and benefits that nanotechnology holds for Alberta and alerting students to avenues for technology commercialization are additional objectives. We are a Graduate Research Network (GRN) under the Graduate Students' Association (GSA) at the University of Calgary. We are an initiative from nanoAlberta, the nanotechnology branch of Alberta Innovate Technology Futures (AITF).
Executive Team
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SeyedMasoud Vahedi
President
Masoud's research journey began with an MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering, where he focused on modeling blood flow and studying drug pharmacokinetics for Drug-Eluting Stents. After completing his MSc, he was frequently hired by Iran's National Elites Foundation to collaborate with research groups in various topics. These collaborations exposed him first-hand to various engineering problems ranging from heat and mass transfer in porous media to multi- phase flow, iron ore reduction, and rheological studies of nano-lubricants, thus inspiring him to pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Calgary. Here, he is working on Programmable Drug-Eluting Stents with more elaborations on chemical reactions participating in degradation of polymer as drug carrier and resorbability of stent struts as a scaffold. More specifically, he is developing toolkits to anticipate the formation of Neointimal Hyperplasia in the site of stent implantation, while focusing on biodegradation kinetics of polymer as a promising approach for encouraging re-endothelialization and attenuate chronic inflammation. Away from research, you can find him playing badminton, practicing in volunteering activities, hanging out in parks with family and friends.
Negar Fahimi
VP Finance
Negar is a second-year PhD student in Chemical Engineering and the main focus of her project is on the application of electrokinetic phenomena in environmental restoration. As a master’s student, she has worked on the reinforcement of MMCs via graphene nanosheets. She would like to be a part of NanoGroup to help students become familiar with and interested in the vast world of nanotechnology.
When not working on her thesis, she enjoys reading books, listening to podcasts, and hiking.
Hana Ahmadi
VP Operations
Hana Ahmadi is a PhD student in chemical engineering at Calgary university. As nanotechnology has wonderful advantages in the field of chemical engineering and particularly, in enhanced materials and coatings, she has started her PhD thesis by focusing on this characteristic because nanotechnology enables the development of advanced materials and coatings with improved chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and thermal stability. For example, nanoparticles can be incorporated into polymers or ceramics to enhance their properties, making them suitable for various applications in chemical engineering, such as corrosion-resistant materials or heat exchanger coatings. During her journey she has synthesized polymer coated iron oxide nanoparticles and she has used them to fabricate nanoemulsion. Several parameters have been investigated on the stability of nanoemulsion. Her goal is to evaluate the transportation behavior of this amazing nanoemulsion in porous media for fracturing application. In addition to doing the research, she is interested in doing volunteering work, participating in outdoor activities like hiking.
Seyedeh Maryam Mousavi
VP Communication
Seyedeh Maryam Mousavi is a PhD student in the chemical and petroleum engineering department at the University of Calgary. Her primary research area involves studying the synthesis of nanocomposite and evaluating the rheological behavior as well as the heat and mass transfer behavior of nanofluids and nanoemulsions. More specifically, her research focuses on how they can be applied to oil reservoirs. Additionally, she has worked on the theory related to the stability of microfluidic and nanofluidic systems horizontal pipelines. She hold an MSc degree in chemical engineering, with a primary focus on heat transfer. Her expertise extends to pollutant degradation with nanoparticles, particularly in the field of photocatalysts and sonophotocatalysts. She thrives on tackling complex technical challenges and find fulfilment in collaborating with skilled teams to develop innovative solutions for these challenges. Luckily, she has authored various research papers in the field of nanotechnology over the years.
Apart from her research, you can often find her at the gym, engaging in volunteer work, or enjoying time outdoors with her family and friends. She aims to maintain a strong and successful presence within the nanogroup by organizing valuable, captivating, and innovative events.
Mehdi Eisapour Darzi
VP Academic
Mehdi Eisapour Darzi received his MS degree in the field of Mechanical Engineering at the Mazandaran University of Science and Technology, Iran with an h-d grade of 92.8%, in 2015. To date, he has published 14 ISI papers in highly-quality journals. Currently, he is working as a PhD student on hydrogen production from biomass with the use of photocatalyic at the Department of Chemical and petroleum engineering. He is a PhD student and since his works is related to nanomaterials and regarding the volunteer works that he has done in the past he is highly interested to work as a volunteer in the group.
Mohammad Aberoumand
VP Outreach
Mohammad is a first-year Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering at UofC, starting on May 1st under the supervision of Prof. Uttandaraman Sundararaj. During his research, he has worked on various fields of material science, polymer science, and composites. He has published 14 international research items in the form of ISI papers and chapter books in the aforementioned areas and gained valuable expertise to share with others. He has a valuable experience as Lab. coordinator for the Advanced Composite and Nano-composite Center at the University of Tehran for 2 years, leading students in their projects as a senior. Besides, He stands an outstanding academic qualification for his master’s degree such as being awarded the first rank among all entrees and being granted by the supporters’ union of the University of Tehran.
So, he is so keen on participating as a member of the UofC nanoGroup to help this organization push boundaries forward and share valuable knowledge in STEM.
Amirreza Panahi
Member at Large
Amirreza is a second-year Ph.D. student at the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. His research focuses on the motion of small particles in a polymeric medium under the effect of a temperature gradient, which has possible applications in targeted drug delivery and enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR). Acting as the president over the last year helped him use his knowledge to engage effectively with the academic side of the Alberta nanotechnology community while excelling in his professional development skills and improving teamwork and communications expertise by running the NanoNexus 2023 and hosting nanotalks.
Ali Bakhshi Zadeh
Member at Large
Ali is a third-year PhD student in the Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department. He obtained his BSc and MSc degree in Materials Engineering from Sharif University of Technology. During his undergraduate studies, he was a member of the Science Council of Materials Science and Engineering Department for a year, working with other members to hold workshops and arrange lectures on different subjects related to Materials Science and Engineering.
Advisory Faculty Member: Dr. Colin Dalton, Adjunct Professor, Schulich School of Engineering
(Co-)President
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The President is responsible for the overall direction and management of the Group and for promoting the Group among both undergraduate, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty. The primary role of the President is to provide guidance and cohesion for the Group as well as to further its vision and mission through his activities and leadership. The President is further responsible for the scheduling of the year’s events and priorities, as well as working with the VP Finance to secure the Group’s annual funding. The President also has signing authority over the Group’s bank account. The president sets executive meetings as required, and is ultimately responsible for ensuring equitable division of labour between members of the Senior Executive.
VP Operations
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The VP Operations (VPO) is responsible for the routine functions of the Group, oversees VP Academic, and contributes to the organization of events. The VPO must ensure that these VPs have the resources and direction they require to carry out their duties, and is ultimately responsible for ensuring smooth operation of their designated events.
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Additionally, they are responsible for coordinating and promoting the larger, irregular nanoGroup events throughout the year. These include, but are not limited to, speaker events and workshops aimed at educating membership. Also, the VPO spearheads initiatives to organize symposia, competitions, and/or conferences.
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The VPO works closely with and oversees the VP Academic in the planning and organization of events.
VP Finance
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In their capacity as financial officer, the VPF is responsible for all monies received and disbursed by the University of Calgary Nanotechnology Group, and shall account for them according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, monitoring and recording each transaction from the Group’s bank account. They are also responsible for ensuring that a regular audits and financial reports are completed to the satisfaction of funding sources, that all accounts receivable are collected, and that all bylaws pertaining to finances are upheld. It is also the job of the VPF, alongside the President, to secure funding for the financial commitments of the Group, seeking out appropriate funding bodies and preparing proposals as required. At the conclusion of each event, the VPF is further responsible for compiling a report on the event’s financials with a detailed budget, as well as any follow-up documentation requested by the funding bodies. Portions of this responsibility may be shared with other executives, and details should be collected from the associate VP directly responsible for the event. The VPF is also given signing authority over the Group’s bank account.
VP Communication
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The VP Communication (VPC) is broadly responsible for both intra-group communication and for promotion of events outside the Group. The VPC is responsible for managing the member lists, drafting and/or editing internal nanoGroup communications such as emails to members and advisors, and ensuring impartiality, factuality and objectivity in all communications. Additional responsibilities include design and maintenance of the nanoGroup’s website, as well as email-based promotion of the Group’s events – emails and announcements sent out will be based on material provided by the VP responsible for the event.
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As part of their responsibilities, the VP Communication is further responsible for the Group’s outreach efforts, overseeing the VP Outreach in his organization of events aimed at groups off campus. Similarly, the VPC is responsible for carrying out the Groups mandate of moving toward a province-wide student nanotechnology presence.
VP Academic
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The VP Academic (VPA) is responsible for planning nanoTalk events and is responsible for engaging the academic side of the Alberta nanotechnology community. nanoTalks are regular lectures on recent nano academic accomplishments in the Alberta nanotechnology community. The VPA is responsible for: inviting speakers, establishing a budget for each event with the VPF, room booking, promotion and advertising the event with the VPC, purchasing refreshments for the event, making event posters and facilitate poster distribution, and other planning details. The VPA reports to the VPO.
VP Outreach
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The VP Outreach (VPOR) is responsible for coordinating the Group’s outreach efforts to the community, with focus on planning and organizing events for grade school, middle school, high school students and undergraduates. This includes organizing general nanotechnology presentations, demonstrations, and tours, as well as collaborating with other groups interested in nanotechnology education and outreach such as Let’s Talk Science.
Members at Large
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Members at Large (MAL) provide support to the executive. Roles that MAL may provide include support on various projects or committees, and they may substitute for other executives where appropriate.
