(6dy) Sustainability in Process Systems Engineering

Environmental conservation, impact reduction, and economic efficiency are vital for the provision of manufactured goods, energy, food, shelter, transport, and almost all basic functions of society. Population growth, economic growth, and increasing requirements for the standard of living mean that more and better goods are in demand, which in turn require more natural resources and manufacturing activity. Such developments, if not carefully designed, can lead to resource depletion/degradation, more landfill waste, higher levels of pollutants, and increased environmental impacts.

My research interests focus on solving the aforementioned challenges through the development and use of PSE tools.

Research strand 1: Advancements in Sustainable Process Systems: Inspired by my Post-Doctorate work, in this strand I will examine the use of PSE tools such as supply chain optimization, process intensification, and data analysis to explore and give novel solutions to the fields of a) Circular Economy Systems Engineering, b) Food-Energy-Water Nexus and c) Renewable Energy Transition.

Research strand 2: Theoretical Advancements & Computational tools for large scale and hierarchical optimization: Inspired by my Ph.D. work, Strand 2 is focusing on the algorithmic development and mathematical tools & frameworks for large scale and/or hierarchical mixed integer optimization problems as they will be vital for the advancements in strand 1. Both deterministic and data-driven approaches will be explored for the development of reliable solution approaches for challenging large-scale problems with multiple decision makers.

Teaching Interests:

Being a teaching assistant in both Imperial College London and Texas A&M University I had the opportunity to assist or co-instruct a total of 6 different PSE classes, making me both competent and interested in designing and teaching different PSE courses including process analysis, design, modeling, optimization, and control for both undergraduate and graduate students. Furthermore, I am interested in teaching classes related to sustainable development such as “Environmental Engineering” and “Circular Economy Systems Engineering”.

I am especially interested in alternative methods of teaching and assessment that encourage critical thinking. Along with more traditional tools for teaching, such as lectures and tutorials, I am planning to enhance student engagement by active and team-based learning. Furthermore, I will be using projects (both group and individual) and presentations as alternative teaching and assessment methods.

The supervision of students is something that I really enjoy and look forward to doing in my academic career. During my Ph.D. and Postdoctorate, I had the opportunity to co-supervise 4 undergraduate students, 2 master students, and 5 Ph.D. students and I am finding this experience both enjoyable and gratifying.