April 2021
Meet our Faculty
Dr. Michael Boutilier
Dr. Michael Boutilier joined Western CBE as an Assistant Professor in 2019. His research is on nanofluidics, the study of fluid flow through nanometer-scale geometries. His focus is on developing nanostructured membranes for improved performance in high throughput separations. He is working to create atomically thin membranes from materials such as graphene and two-dimensional polymers.
These materials are thin enough to perforate with holes the size of small molecules. Molecules larger than these holes are completely blocked from crossing the membrane while smaller molecules can pass through extremely quickly by virtue of the material thinness. Atomically thin membranes promise hundreds of times higher flow rates compared to conventional membranes for separations in the water and energy sectors. Dr. Boutilier is also currently developing nanoelectromechanical sensors for ultra-high resolution fluid flow measurements.
Meet our Alumni
Trent Gordon - How one student's experience at Western Engineering helped kickstart his career at Abbott Labs.
On his first day at Western University in 2014, Trent Gordon (BESc 18, MESc 20) was told, “Engineering is a team sport”. The principle of teamwork championed by Western Engineering has been essential to Gordon throughout his studies at Western and in his work at Abbott labs. “Without question, the collaborative environment that Western’s Engineering program fosters has helped me succeed in the workforce. On a given day, I work with 4-5 different teams in search of solutions to improve the performance of our immunoassays.”
When reminiscing about his first year at Western, Gordon looks back fondly and says, “the general first year at Western allows you to explore a lot of really interesting areas and find out what you are passionate about”. For Gordon, that passion was to work in Biotechnology. “The first 3 years of Engineering helped develop the fundamental tools for success, and it was really in my 4th year project with Dr. Gillies where I was able to successfully apply those and design medical innovations” During his 4th year thesis project, Gordon worked on developing drug delivery systems. Looking back on the experience, Gordon said, “I finally found something that I loved doing, and I can’t thank Western enough for providing me with this opportunity”. Gordon went on to complete his MESc with Dr. Gillies, where he worked on developing polymers for tissue engineering applications. Gordon credits various campus initiatives for helping him build the interpersonal skills required for his job.
During his master’s degree, he worked as a part time sales associate for Thermo Fisher Scientific, the sports representative for the Biomedical engineering department, and served as a biomaterials liaison for the Center for Advanced Materials and Biomaterials Research (CAMBR). “The diverse range of opportunities at Western was immensely helpful in strengthening both my technical and soft skills.” When asked what’s next, Gordon excitedly exclaimed, “I am really enjoying working for Abbott. It is very rewarding to know that the products that you are developing are saving people’s lives”. He added that long term, he was interested in “working towards reducing the cost of diagnostic tests to help improve the accessibility of Abbott’s products in low and middle-income countries.”
Meet our Staff
Jason Cambria
When did you join CBE?
I joined the Chemical and Biochemical Engineering team as the Graduate Program Coordinator at the end of September 2020. Before joining the department, I worked in the Department of Management and Organizational Studies as a Program Assistant supporting our faculty members. And, before that had several different roles within the Office of the Registrar here at Western. Before my start at Western, I worked as an occasional teacher in London and the surrounding area. My role as the Graduate Program Coordinator includes many functions.
I support our faculty members in submitting final grades, creating funding packages for research students, administrative responsibilities needed for thesis examinations, organizing the timetable for each term, and any other tasks as required. I support our students by providing help throughout the admission process, working with our Graduate Chairs to give new students orientation, assistance with course enrollment and curriculum management, and any other assistance that our students require. Outside of working at Western, I spend most of my time with my wife, Sara, and my daughters, Clare and Madeleine. Additionally, I write articles about fantasy football and hockey.
Making News
Chem-E-Car-Team is now Western Engineering Chem-E-Car-Team: Led by Professor and Faculty Advisor, Dr. Domnic Pjontek, CBE’s undergraduate Chem-E-Car team has met all requirements to be a UES club. Congratulations!
