With a trio of funding contributions amounting to $150,000, a new process engineering design and research lab is to be built at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
The university had previously set aside building space in the Inco Innovation Centre at its St. John's campus for the lab, said acting university president Dr. Christopher Loomis.
Now, with a $50,000 contribution each from the university, Chevron and the Research and Development Corp. of Newfoundland and Labrador, the lab can be properly outfitted.
Acting chair of process engineering at Memorial, Dr. Faisal Khan, presented the plans for the laboratory space at the Inco Innovation Centre on Friday.
"Process engineering is a discipline of engineering which focuses on transforming the natural resources into the valuable product," said Khan. He said the specialty looks at ways to make the transformation from raw material to valuable commodity (be it for, say, oil or gold) more efficient, environmentally benign and more economically feasible.
The $150,000 available for Memorial's newest lab will pay for needed computer hardware, said Khan. It will also pay for required software and support initial research and design projects at the lab, through financial stipends for selected research students.
The laboratory is to be used by a process engineering team that mixes undergraduate, graduate and co-op students under a research engineer.
Atlantic Canada manager for Chevron Canada, Mark MacLeod, said there were no provisions placed on Chevron's contributions to the laboratory.
"There are no restrictions on what the money is used for. In general it's to support students, to support the lab itself," said MacLeod.
The lab is expected to be up and running by September.
afitzpatrick@thetelegram.com
MUN to build process engineering lab
Faisal Khan, associate professor in the faculty of engineering and applied science at Memorial University, gives an overview of what the new Process Engineering Design and Research Laboratory will look during its announcement Friday morning. -Photo by Joe
University shares cost with Chevron, provincial R and D corporation
With a trio of funding contributions amounting to $150,000, a new process engineering design and research lab is to be built at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
The university had previously set aside building space in the Inco Innovation Centre at its St. John's campus for the lab, said acting university president Dr. Christopher Loomis.
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Comments
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- Newfoundland
- - July 2, 2010 at 15:04:40
Ummm - how about hydroelectricity, the offshore oil industry (existing assets as well as new ones like Hebron, Hibernia South etc), waste water treatment, fossil fuel power plants and environmental assessment firms either - they all employ chemical engineers! One of the scarcest engineering disciplines worldwide, and one of the easiest in which to gain employment...and one of the core disciplines that every engineering program should have. This is a good step for MUN and for Newfoundland.
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- Engineering Grad
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:56:14
Process Engineering? When was the last time an employer in the province needed a process engineer. With the pulp & paper industry in the toilet, there will be very few opportunties for employment. Potential Employers will be Inco's Hydro-Met facility, the refinery, possibly the breweries...........and that is pretty much it. This program was pushed on the Engineering Faculty by the previous president since he was a chemical (process) engineer. The job market will be dismall for these grduates.
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- I'se the B'y
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:56:04
Would it kill anyone on this site to make a positive comment? Memorial University deserves more recognition than it gets.
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- Mech Grad from MUN
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:54:22
To the know-it-all grad from the mainland.
A good number of my fellow grads were hired on as process engineers with Husky, Chevron and Petro-Canada.
It's about time this specialty was introduced.
Open your mind and shut your mouth. -
- dennis
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:53:41
Congratulations to MUN for putting together yet another fine facility. The world we live in requires we do research, even though it may seem that that research has no immediate benefits for the average person or even professionals. I would like to recall the troubles that arose around the invention of the maser (prelude to the laser), in which everything was tried to get rid of the professor who proposed it because many shortsighted people couldn't imagine being able to focus like to get energy out of it. Today we cannot imagnine living without lasers. Good luck to MUN and its researchers.
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- Another Engineer
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:51:06
To Engineering Grad:
The Oil and Gas Industry utilizes process engineers. Nonetheless, it's a big world out there and who says that all graduates want to work here.
With that attitude, it's just as well to scrap the Naval Architecture program as well. -
- Ise the By
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:50:51
I should add - now maybe they should work on those residence renos (sorry) ;)
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- George
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:47:27
I'm sure there is lots of demand for process engineers here in Alberta. C'mon over!!
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- Dave in NL
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:40:27
MUN contributes $50,000 in kind which is the same $50,000 that was used to pay for that space in the INCO building in the first place. The very same $50,000 that came from government. Now government is matching that $50,000 with another $50,000. Wow. Even Madoff would be impressed.
...and that's just the surface....please reporters....please start scratching. -
- Newfoundland
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:54:07
Ummm - how about hydroelectricity, the offshore oil industry (existing assets as well as new ones like Hebron, Hibernia South etc), waste water treatment, fossil fuel power plants and environmental assessment firms either - they all employ chemical engineers! One of the scarcest engineering disciplines worldwide, and one of the easiest in which to gain employment...and one of the core disciplines that every engineering program should have. This is a good step for MUN and for Newfoundland.
-
- Engineering Grad
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:43:03
Process Engineering? When was the last time an employer in the province needed a process engineer. With the pulp & paper industry in the toilet, there will be very few opportunties for employment. Potential Employers will be Inco's Hydro-Met facility, the refinery, possibly the breweries...........and that is pretty much it. This program was pushed on the Engineering Faculty by the previous president since he was a chemical (process) engineer. The job market will be dismall for these grduates.
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- I'se the B'y
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:42:46
Would it kill anyone on this site to make a positive comment? Memorial University deserves more recognition than it gets.
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- Mech Grad from MUN
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:39:59
To the know-it-all grad from the mainland.
A good number of my fellow grads were hired on as process engineers with Husky, Chevron and Petro-Canada.
It's about time this specialty was introduced.
Open your mind and shut your mouth. -
- dennis
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:38:47
Congratulations to MUN for putting together yet another fine facility. The world we live in requires we do research, even though it may seem that that research has no immediate benefits for the average person or even professionals. I would like to recall the troubles that arose around the invention of the maser (prelude to the laser), in which everything was tried to get rid of the professor who proposed it because many shortsighted people couldn't imagine being able to focus like to get energy out of it. Today we cannot imagnine living without lasers. Good luck to MUN and its researchers.
-
- Another Engineer
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:34:23
To Engineering Grad:
The Oil and Gas Industry utilizes process engineers. Nonetheless, it's a big world out there and who says that all graduates want to work here.
With that attitude, it's just as well to scrap the Naval Architecture program as well. -
- Ise the By
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:33:54
I should add - now maybe they should work on those residence renos (sorry) ;)
-
- George
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:28:04
I'm sure there is lots of demand for process engineers here in Alberta. C'mon over!!
-
- Dave in NL
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:16:26
MUN contributes $50,000 in kind which is the same $50,000 that was used to pay for that space in the INCO building in the first place. The very same $50,000 that came from government. Now government is matching that $50,000 with another $50,000. Wow. Even Madoff would be impressed.
...and that's just the surface....please reporters....please start scratching.
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