NSERC Industrial Research Chairs
Jan Ciborowski
Professor
NSERC/COSIA Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Wetland Reclamation
Biological Sciences
Dr. Ciborowski’s research seeks to develop a transformational methodology to characterize and assess the ecological condition of wetlands in the Athabasca Oil Sands reclamation landscapes, and to ultimately enable industry to better reclaim land and promote biodiversity. His IRC program will answer the following questions:
- How can industry best predict the early development, biodiversity, and persistence of wetlands in a reclaimed landscape, using knowledge of the environment and landscape?
- What environmental or biological indicators best reflect long-term resilience and/or persistence in young wetlands?
- What reclamation features will promote young wetlands’ formation, resilience and persistence?
He and his team will study the functionality (based on wetland size, depth and water exchanges), water quality (amounts of salts and other compounds) and surrounding disturbance features of newly forming wetlands in the post-mining landscape. Biological surveys (aquatic invertebrates, plants, and birds) will show which of these features are most important in sustaining biodiversity as wetlands age. View contact information.
David Eaton
Professor
NSERC/Chevron Industrial Research Chair in Microseismic System Dynamics
Geoscience
Dr. Eaton’s group are using borehole and surface geophone systems for microseismic monitoring. They are developing innovative approaches to process and interpret microseismic data, including integration with geomechanical modelling. These studies are providing operators with improved methods to optimize hydraulic fracture design and incorporate microseismic observations into reservoir models. The group is also making use of passive seismic observations and computer simulations to better understand risks from induced seismicity due to hydraulic fracturing and wastewater injection. This work includes field observations with broadband seismograph observatories, coupled with development of improved numerical models for triggered fault slip. Research by Dr. Eaton’s group and collaborators is providing fundamental new insights into the nature of microseismic deformation - especially the expression of tensile crack opening, as well as the response of natural fracture systems to changes in stress and fluid conditions. View contact information.
Robert Marriott
Associate Professor
NSERC/ASRL Industrial Research Chair in Applied Sulfur Chemistry
Chemistry
Dr. Marriott’s research group focuses on optimizing gas conditioning in the presence of H2S, bulk fluid separation by ionic liquids, high-pressure water-hydrocarbon solution chemistry (including hydrates) and fundamental properties of elemental sulfur under industrial conditions. The research is carried out adjacent to the Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd. laboratories at the University Research Centre (URC) and in many cases complement ASRL’s Core Research Program. View contact information.
Rei Safavi-Naeini
Professor
NSERC/TELUS Industrial Research Chair in Information Security
Computer Science
Rei Safavi-Naini's research interests are cryptography, information theoretic security, security protocols and systems, and data privacy. Her research is driven by, (i) security questions that arise by advances in computer and communication technologies and their applications in everyday life, and (ii) fundamental information theoretic questions and limits of providing security in different scenarios. Her recent research directions are, cloud security, communications security, user authentication, and data sanitization and protection. View contact information.