Emerging Professionals Development Program
The Emerging Professionals (EP) Development Program helps emerging professionals to engage with our Society, participate in Society activities, become better acquainted with each other and make important contacts with CIM and MetSoc leaders over a period of two years.
The EP Program inspires graduates to envision themselves as future leaders in their fields.
The Call for applications is open! The deadline is February 8, 2023.
If you know someone in your company that should be in this program, don’t hesitate to nominate them and work with them to submit an application.
A Day in the Life of an EP
Over the course of two years, EPs and MetSoc members will embark on an exciting journey of partnership, reflection, coaching, and inspiration.
- Treasurer/secretary/section chair
- Presents a paper for COM and other conferences
- Reviewer of papers
- Presents a poster/assists in the organization of poster sessions
- Assists in organizing short courses
- Participates in organizing Webinars
- Contributes to interviews with professionals in technical fields
- Participates in technical Bulletins
- Assists in the curation of MetSoc Publications-upcoming project
Current Emerging Professionals
2022-2023 EPs
May Wee Ang
Sphera Solutions – Sustainability
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
May is a Life Cycle Data Analyst at Sphera Solutions where her focus is to develop reliable and accurate models for environmental impact analyses. Prior to her role, May graduated with a Chemical Engineering degree from Queen’s University where she also obtained a Certificate in Business and later, a Certificate of Data Analytics at the University of Toronto.
At the start of her career, May supported Geometallurgical projects in model development of metal beneficiation processes (flotation) as well as flowsheet design for metal extraction (hydrometallurgy). She also has technical experience in laboratory test work and operating pilot plants.
Her career objective is to use sustainability as a compass toward a circular economy and is enthusiastic to be a part of the movement!
Thierno Saidou Barry
Groupe AEM Canada Inc. – Hydrometallurgy
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Thierno holds a master’s degree in materials engineering obtained in 2020 at Laval University, Canada and a bachelor’s degree in mining/minerals engineering obtained in 2017 at Inönü University, Turkey. During his studies, Thierno acquired relevant knowledge in minerals processing, hydrometallurgy, mechanochemistry and materials characterization areas as a researcher. He is a co-author of many papers published in these areas with an h-index of 5 and cited 65 times. After his master’s degree, Thierno worked as a CEP in process engineering at Groupe AEM Canada Inc. a chemical company specializing in the production of high purity alumina from December 2020 to March 2022. Presently, Thierno works as a production engineering technician at Gentec Inc.
Matt Boulby
The Metals Company – Pyrometallurgy
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Matt Boulby received a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University in 2019 and has over two years of experience in the mining and mineral processing industry.
Matt began his career in consulting, helping to design process plants for gold projects in Northern Canada, Guatemala and Vietnam. He quickly found that while he recognized the world’s requirement for metals, he had concerns about the industry’s negative impact on the environment. In July of 2020, he began working with The Metals Company (TMC), supporting their efforts to commercialize a project using polymetallic sea nodules to supply critical minerals for electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries. In this role, he was introduced to metallurgy for the first time and has since helped contribute to the development of TMC’s zero solid waste, low emission flowsheet and the subsequent completion of two pyrometallurgical pilot-scale test work campaigns. He enjoys working with the team at TMC as they attempt to provide a more sustainable supply of nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese to the world.
Outside of his professional interests, he is an avid traveler (having visited over 30 countries), a sports fan and an ice hockey referee. He is thankful to have been named by MetSoc as an Emerging Professional in Pyrometallurgy and is looking forward to participating in the program, learning from and collaborating with his section members.
Paulo Gamez Campos
New Gold Inc. – Mineral processing
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Paulo Gamez Campos completed his B.A. in Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at the University of British Columbia in 2021. With a strong focus on mineral processing and sustainable mining, Paulo was involved in several precious metal extraction projects throughout his studies.
He is currently employed by New Gold Inc working on the Rainy River Project in the area of capital projects and waste management. At his workplace, Paulo had the opportunity to see the operations of a gold-silver mine and the current technology used to process precious ore on an industrial scale allowing him to better understand how sulphide ore is currently processed.
As a young professional, Paulo is eager to expand his knowledge in the field of mineral processing and to assist the industry in finding new ways to sustainably process ore using emerging technologies while maximizing ore recovery.
Renaud Daenzer
Aurel Systems Inc., Burnaby, BC – Hydrometallurgy
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Renaud Daenzer attended McGill University as a co-op student in Materials Engineering before completing a master’s within the Aqueous Processing Group. His interest in hydrometallurgy led to a move across the country to complete a Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia with a focus on the leaching of refractory gold ores using calcium thiosulfate. After graduating, Renaud worked briefly in the water treatment sector prior to joining Aurel Systems Inc. as a process simulation applications engineer using CADSIM Plus. Within Aurel, Renaud works on product and business development, marketing, and sales and drives partnerships with the aim to contribute to new innovations in the field of mineral processing.
Sunny Deng
SNC Lavalin – Pyrometallurgy
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Sunny Deng is a Junior Process Engineer working in the Pyrometallurgy group at SNC-Lavalin. She is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, with her studies focused on pyrometallurgy and plant design. Prior to joining SNC-Lavalin, she completed internships working in the Oil & Gas and Consumer Product Manufacturing industries where she gained experience in metallurgical failure analysis and product and process design. In her current role, she has worked on a decarbonization white paper internally for SNC-Lavalin and has co-authored a paper for publication on Copper e-waste smelting for Copper 2022. She is looking forward to developing her network, skills and interests in extractive metallurgy and sustainability as a professional engineer. Sunny is excited to begin her role as an Emerging Professional in the Pyrometallurgy section.
Rachel Ko
HATCH LTD. – Sustainability
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Rachel is currently a process engineer at Hatch Ltd. with 4 years of experience primarily in non-ferrous pyrometallurgical processes. She graduated with a Chemical Engineering degree from Queen’s University and is currently pursuing a part-time Master of Engineering at the University of Toronto with an emphasis in sustainability.
Before joining the world of pyrometallurgy, Rachel worked primarily in energy management and energy efficiency improvement. It was this work that motivated her desire to become part of the equation in solving one of today’s greatest challenges. The growing importance of sustainability in pyrometallurgical processes is evident. With the mining & metals sector undergoing a very unique transformation today, it is an exciting time to be part of the movement!
Mohsen Mohammadijoo
NOVA Chemicals Corporation – Light Metals
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Mohsen Mohammadijoo is a Materials Integrity and Metallurgy Research Engineer at NOVA Chemicals. Prior to joining NOVA, he led the Welding and Materials Engineering team at EVRAZ NA R&D where he contributed mainly to the oil and gas pipeline materials integrity. Among his responsibilities and interests is the assessment of materials integrity and process reliability for a diverse range of energy applications for hydrogen fuel, oil and gas, as well as the automotive industry. Prior to his professional career, he completed his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta under the supervision of Prof. Hani Henein. Mohsen enjoys spending time hiking with his family and playing soccer and basketball with his little son.
Ibrahim Ogunsanya
University of Toronto – Materials
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Ibrahim Ogunsanya is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. Dr. Ogunsanya possesses degrees in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (BSc, University of Lagos) and Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering (MASc and Ph.D., University of Waterloo). He has a multifaceted technical career across the fields of materials science, metallurgy, mechanical, civil, and chemical engineering. He employs a metallurgical and material science approach to proffer solutions to material durability and sustainability challenges in structural (on cement, concrete, and steel reinforcing alloys), nuclear (on concrete and metal alloys), and automotive (on lightweight alloys) engineering sectors. He is also a professional engineer in Ontario, and a member of professional societies such as NACE, TMS, IoM3, and CIM.
Daniela Rossetto
Eddyfi Technologies, Quebec – Sustainability
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Daniela Rossetto is an Applications Expert at Eddyfi Technologies and has a multidisciplinary background dedicated to research projects with industrial applications.
In 2021, Daniela completed a master’s program at Laval University (with honors), evaluating new anode technologies to achieve a more sustainable zinc electrowinning process. Prior to that, she accumulated three years of experience in R&D projects for bauxite and alumina production, as well as three undergraduate scholarships in topics including mineral characterization and recovery of rare earths from electronic waste. In her current role, she supports the development of customized Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) solutions based on Eddy Current Arrays (ECA).
Her research interests include urban mining, industrial waste minimization, circular economy, and green process technologies.
Joshua Stroh
School of Engineering, UBC-Okanagan – Light Metals
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Dr. Joshua Stroh completed his Ph.D. in 2021 at the University of British Columbia, where he is now working as a Manager and Engineering Specialist for the High-Performance Powertrain Materials Laboratory. His research has been focused on minimizing the carbon footprint of the transportation industry through the development of lightweight powertrain alloys with improved strength and creep resistance at elevated temperatures. Dr. Stroh has worked closely with the industry on optimizing manufacturing processes to minimize the evolution of residual stress in complex castings of engine components. The results of this collaborative research enable the manufacturing of the next-generation powertrains with substantially reduced environmental impact. Dr. Stroh has over 20 publications and has presented his research at several international conferences.
Hakan M. Tunc
BBA – Mineral processing
(2022-2023 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Hakan Tunc was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, and moved to Montreal, Quebec, to obtain his B.Eng. degree in Materials Engineering at McGill University. Since 2018, Hakan has been working at BBA Inc., starting his career in Montreal and currently living in Vancouver, BC. Hakan has been involved with precious metals, base metals, iron ore, and battery metals projects at the study and engineering levels. He designed mineral processing plants under the guidance of industry experts for many Canadian clients.
Hakan’s ultimate goal is to dissolve the silos in the mining industry by promoting clear communication, continuing education, diversity, and inclusion. He is working towards understanding the main pillars of the mining industry through technical, business, and sustainability perspectives.
2021-2022 EPs
Michael Benoit
The University of British Columbia – Light Metals
(2021-2022 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Co-Organizer of CrossTalk: Heavy Conversations About Light Metals
Michael Benoit is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. Dr. Benoit’s research is mainly concerned with welding & joining and additive manufacturing of Al alloys. He is particularly interested in developing high-strength and crack-resistant Al alloys for additive manufacturing. Prior to joining the University of British Columbia, Dr. Benoit received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo for his research on the brazing of Al alloys for automotive applications. He was awarded a Banting postdoctoral research fellowship to study additive manufacturing of Al alloys at the RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing in Melbourne, Australia.
Shuhong (Max) Shen
Hatch – Materials
(2021-2022 Emerging Professionals recipient)
Shuhong(Max) is a Process EIT in the Downstream group at Hatch Ltd. Since joining Hatch, Max has worked on projects in several groups with the main focus on steelmaking, including dynamic simulation of steelmaking plant logistics, process modeling of EAF, AOD and hot strip mill, cold rolling mill motor upgrades, downstream steelmaking techno-economic review and risk assessment, as well as the development of coating mass control software for galvanizing lines. Max has a strong passion for novel steelmaking and treatment technologies and applying data-driven digital solutions to improve client operations.
Prior to joining Hatch, Max obtained M.Eng. and B.Eng. degrees in Materials Engineering at McGill University, with a research focus on utilizing machine learning techniques on hot rolling mill process modeling.
Past Emerging Professionals Recipients:
Alex Cao
Vale Canada Limited – Hydrometallurgy
2020-2022
Abdallah Elsayed
University of Guelph – Light Metals
2020-2022
Jessica Hiscocks
Kingston Process Metallurgy – Light Metals
2020-2022
Fangyu Liu
Hatch – Hydrometallurgy
2020-2022
Arthur Stokreef
Glencore – Pyrometallurgy
2020-2022
Douglas Kao
Artisanal Gold Council (AGC) – Sustainability
2021-2022
François Cardin
Zinc électrolytique du Canada limitée – Sustainability
2020-2021
Peng Chang
Teck – Sustainability
2020-2021
Brittany MacKinnon
Hatch – Sustainability
2020-2021
Sable Reid
Rio Tinto – Sustainability
2020-2021
Roberta Neumann
Teck – Sustainability
2020
Lorena Tere
Hatch – Pyrometallurgy
2017, 2020
Raphael Soldi
Sherrit International – Management
2018-2019
Jasmina Omri
Goldcorp Porcupine Gold mines – Mineral Science
2018-2019
Fariba Safizadeh
University Laval – Hydrometallurgy
2018-2019
Yao Yao Ding
Heroux Devtek – Materials
2018-2019
Shannon Hoekstra
SRK Consulting – Hydrometallurgy
2017-2019
François Audet
Foundry Solutions Metallurgical Solutions – Management
2016-2017
Alexander Burns
NORAM Engineering & Constructors, Ltd – Hydrometallurgy
2016-2017
Alison Cummings
Glencore-Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations – Pyrometallurgy
2016-2017
Patrick Gagnon
Tema Isenmann Inc – Mineral Science
2016-2017
Michael Molinski
Vale – Pyrometallurgy
2016-2017
Nishit Patel
Hatch – Pyrometallurgy
2016-2017
Ge Sa
Hatch – Light Metals
2016-2017
Mashael Alomair
Hatch – Materials
2017-2018
Ahmet Deniz Bas
University Laval – Hydrometallurgy
2017-2018
Stewart Cook
Fenix Advanced Materials – Management
2017-2018
Thomas Feldmann
5N Plus Inc – Hydrometallurgy
2017-2018
Sara Fitzel
Teck – Environment
2017-2018
David Levasseur
Centre de metallurgies du Québec – Light Metals
2017-2018
David Tomlinson
Teck – Management
2017-2018
