UOIT chemistry student wins top prize in Ontario
April 13, 2010
Andrew Pedersen places first at chemistry conference in London, Ontario
For the second year in a row, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology's (UOIT) Faculty of Science is celebrating the outstanding achievement of a fourth-year chemistry student on the provincial stage. Andrew Pedersen has topped the competition at the 38th Southern Ontario Undergraduate Student Chemistry Conference (SOUSCC). Pedersen won the honour March 20 in London during the conference hosted by the University of Western Ontario.
Pederson received first prize for his 20 minute oral presentation in the Polymer and Materials Chemistry section entitled Synthesis and characterization of platinum/sulfonated carbon catalysts to increase proton conductivity in fuel cell applications.
"Andrew's first-place result is yet another fantastic showing at the provincial level for UOIT's chemistry program," says Dr. Brad Easton, assistant professor of chemistry and team supervisor of the six UOIT students who competed at SOUSCC 2010. "Our entire team did exceptionally well. Andrew's outstanding work exemplifies how UOIT's chemistry program differentiates itself: our undergraduates are heavily involved in innovative research. And accordingly, our graduates are in high demand."
Pedersen's research is aimed at improving the efficiency of chemical reactions in fuel cells to improve their overall performance. His findings will be submitted to scientific journals for publication.
"My research is focused on increasing the catalytic efficiency of fuel cell electrodes though modification of the catalyst support," says Pedersen. "I feel a lot of our success comes from the market-driven research we do here at UOIT. It's much easier to give a cogent presentation on something with clear application. I think many of the presentations given at SOUSCC were not as successful as they could have been simply because thepurpose of the work was not entirely clear."
At last year's SOUSCC held at Brock University in St. Catharines, UOIT's Allen Pauric placed first in the physical/theoretical chemistry section.
The annual conference provides undergraduate chemistry students from across Ontario an opportunity to present their undergraduate research projects and network with fellow chemists. SOUSCC also featured presentations in analytical, biological, environmental, inorganic, organic, physical, theoretical and computational chemistry.
For the second year in a row, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology's (UOIT) Faculty of Science is celebrating the outstanding achievement of a fourth-year chemistry student on the provincial stage. Andrew Pedersen has topped the competition at the 38th Southern Ontario Undergraduate Student Chemistry Conference (SOUSCC). Pedersen won the honour March 20 in London during the conference hosted by the University of Western Ontario.
Pederson received first prize for his 20 minute oral presentation in the Polymer and Materials Chemistry section entitled Synthesis and characterization of platinum/sulfonated carbon catalysts to increase proton conductivity in fuel cell applications.
"Andrew's first-place result is yet another fantastic showing at the provincial level for UOIT's chemistry program," says Dr. Brad Easton, assistant professor of chemistry and team supervisor of the six UOIT students who competed at SOUSCC 2010. "Our entire team did exceptionally well. Andrew's outstanding work exemplifies how UOIT's chemistry program differentiates itself: our undergraduates are heavily involved in innovative research. And accordingly, our graduates are in high demand."
Pedersen's research is aimed at improving the efficiency of chemical reactions in fuel cells to improve their overall performance. His findings will be submitted to scientific journals for publication.
"My research is focused on increasing the catalytic efficiency of fuel cell electrodes though modification of the catalyst support," says Pedersen. "I feel a lot of our success comes from the market-driven research we do here at UOIT. It's much easier to give a cogent presentation on something with clear application. I think many of the presentations given at SOUSCC were not as successful as they could have been simply because thepurpose of the work was not entirely clear."
At last year's SOUSCC held at Brock University in St. Catharines, UOIT's Allen Pauric placed first in the physical/theoretical chemistry section.
The annual conference provides undergraduate chemistry students from across Ontario an opportunity to present their undergraduate research projects and network with fellow chemists. SOUSCC also featured presentations in analytical, biological, environmental, inorganic, organic, physical, theoretical and computational chemistry.
About Ontario Tech University
A modern, forwarding-thinking university, Ontario Tech advances the discovery and application of knowledge to accelerate economic growth, regional development and social innovation. We inspire and equip our students and our graduates to make a positive impact in a tech-focused world. For us, it’s not only about developing the next tech breakthrough. Understanding and integrating the social and ethical implications of technology differentiates us as university. Learn more at ontariotechu.ca.
