Ottawa CIC Local Section

Events and Activities held in 2002 

• Weekly Seminars
  Please contact Edward Lai or Alain St-Amant for the speakers and topics for the Ottawa-Carleton Chemistry Institute weekly seminars.
• University of Ottawa, Department of Chemistry's Seminar Program for Fall 2002-Winter 2003

November 13
Tour of SAIC and ETC

The Ottawa CIC Local Section organized a tour of Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) at the Environmental Technology Centre (ETC), 335 River Road South, Ottawa on November 13, 2002.  The tour began at 1:30 p.m.  Dave Thornton, Director of ETC, first welcomed the visitors and presented an overview of the ETC activities.  Konstantin Volchek next conducted a tour of the SAIC. His research group deals with the development and demonstration of remediation technologies for contaminated soil, water, and marine oil spills!  Jacqueline Bélanger, FCIC, then guided a tour of the Microwave-Assisted Processes Division.  The patented processes are a family of very promising green technologies to enhance extraction of chemicals from target materials.  Each new application means energy savings that translate into lower green house gas emissions and reduction of toxic waste.  Ewa Dabek, MCIC, concluded with a tour of the Analysis and Air Quality Division.  This division analyses a variety of samples, primarily ambient air samples but also samples from industrial sources, wastes and effluents. Divisional staff develop analytical methods for regulations and quality assurance programs to assist in developing and implementing departmental regulations.

This final report is being sent as a thank you note to Dave Thornton, Konstantin Volchek, Francine Payne, Jacqueline Belanger and Ewa Dabek.  We would like to express our appreciation of their great efforts in coordinating the visit. Special thanks go to all of the many ETC director, scientists and staff members who acted as wonderful co-hosts - their warm hospitality and genuine enthusiasm miraculously turned the clouding afternoon into sunny moments in the hearts of over 21 visitors!!!

The following visitors have also been so kind as to contribute a note that describes their feedback after the tour:

• "Thank you very much for organizing the interesting tour.  It was useful to see real-life problems and their solutions."  -  Igor Iskra
• "The tour of ETC and SAIC was really wonderful. For me, it is a very useful and new experience to get the real sight of government labs of Canada. Thank you for organizing such an interesting tour for us."  -  Sherry Feng
• "Accentually, I am not so familiar with the environmental analysis.  But after this tour, I know that some people take it serious and doing an innovative job over there.  They utilize novel techniques to find out the truth.  From the tour, they give us knowledge (and a clip for souvenir) without any paybacks.  It is really impressed me a lot. We should say thank you."  -  Jorn Yu
• "Thank you very much for organizing this tour.  It is a very good opportunity to learn state-to-the-art techniques to handle one of the major concerns of the world-Environmental problems.  And as a graduate student who is doing Environmental Research, I really helped me a lot on my future work and my thesis."  -  Silin Si
• "Thanks for the nice time we spent there.  I, personally, was so pleased to be there at the real world of environmental work.  Although it was a very quick visit, yet it left deep marks on my mind and it was nice to be close to the protectors of the Canadian environment.  I wonder if it is possible to spend more time there?"  -  Mohamed Abdel Salam
• "I found the tour to be very interesting and informative.  I am glad to see so much progress in the environmental field.  Thank you for organizing the tour, I found it well worth my time."  -  Julie Vanhoucke
• "Thanks a lot for organizing this tour.  It was indeed extremely interesting and informative!"  -  Dr. Karim Faid
• "It was a pleasure for me to meet you, too.  I enjoyed the tour, it was very well presented.  The only suggestion I have: it might have been a good idea to divide the group into two smaller ones - 21 was too big for most of the labs and it was difficult for those farther away to hear what was being said."  -  Vladimir Hornof, Professor Emeritus
• "Thank you all very much for joining the tour of ETC and SAIC!   It was a great pleasure for me to make the personal acquaintance of Prof. Vladimir Hornof, Dr. Karim Faid, Dr. Kroeger, Mr. Daishui Su and Mr. Igor Iskra.  I am grateful to Renata Jovanovic for bringing several more students from the University of Ottawa to join the tour.  A bright Chemical Engineering student could answer a challenging question about the opposite of peak in a microwave - trough!!"  -  Edward Lai

September 13
Symposium on Energy and the Environment
As part of its 50^th Anniversary celebrations the National Research Council's Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology will host a one-day Symposium focused on "Energy and the Environment". 

This Symposium will be held: Friday, September 13, 2002
National Research Council, Building M-12 (I.E. Puddington Building)
Montreal Road Campus (Montreal and Blair Roads)
Ottawa, Ontario
 
Full details regarding this Symposium, and how to register, can be found on ICPET's Web site at www.nrc.ca/icpet. (click on the Symposium icon or go to News/Events portion of the Web site)

Registration for this Symposium is limited to 100 persons. It is therefore essential for everyone who wishes to participate in the Symposium to complete the registration form either electronically or by mail, along with your registration payment by the deadline, September 3, 2002. Further information on the Symposium and how to register is available on the Web site or by contacting Dr. Barry MacDougall at (613) 993-8573 or barry.macdougall@nrc.ca <mailto:barry.macdougall@nrc.ca>.

This Symposium will benefit industry, academic and government researchers interested in environmental and sustainability issues and, the development of technology needed to meet Canada's growing energy demands.

Please note that this Symposium will be presented in English.
We look forward to your participation.

May 1, 18:00-22:00  
Annual General Meeting
Algonquin College, Woodroffe Campus

April 10, 15:00-17:00  
Tour of  iStat 
436 Hazeldean Road.  
For more information or to register for the tour, please contact Renata Jovanovic

February 19
Ottawa Local Section Chemistry Olympics - Science and Engineering Olympics Canada Science and Technology Museum
19 février
Olympiades de chimie de Section locale d'Ottawa, Olympiades des sciences et génie
Musée des sciences et de la technologie du Canada 

February 5, 18:00-20:30  
Student Career Night 
Carleton University
5 février de 18h00 à 20h30 
Soirée étudiante - Carrières
Université Carleton

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