Bita Abdolahi Sanati, Chair
Bita (she/they) is a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Jalilehvand’s research group. She did her B.Sc. in pure chemistry at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in Iran, where she is from. In the spring of 2021, she moved to Canada to start her graduate program focusing on syntheses and characterization of potential anticancer rhenium complexes. Bita has been a part of UC CIDE since early 2023 and spent a year as the Outreach Officer. As an international student in Canada, they’re passionate about helping create a safe and joyful environment for their peers. They also enjoy reading and discussing literature and politics, including topics on EDI.
Emily Atallah, Administrative Officer
Emily (she/her) completed her B.Sc. in Chemistry at the University of Calgary and is currently a third year Ph.D. candidate under the supervision of Dr. Roland Roesler. Her research is focused on the development of cryptands for application in selective ion trapping. Having lived outside of Canada for much of her life, Emily is excited to work with individuals from various backgrounds to continue to raise awareness for EDI in the academic world. In her free time, she enjoys climbing, working out, drawing, and playing piano in a band.
Devon Louwe, Financial Officer
Devon completed his B.Sc. in Chemistry here at the University of Calgary before joining Dr. Roland Roesler for graduate school. He is currently a fifth year Ph.D. candidate focused on the development of element-specific molecular ionophores that can be incorporated into heterogeneous systems. A strong advocate for EDI within chemistry and science as a whole, Devon is excited to be a part of a fantastic team of executives working to promote something that matters to him. When not in the lab, Devon enjoys hiking with his wife and dog, swimming, and playing squash.
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Alex Roberts, Media Relations & Communications Officer
Alex (she/her) is a second year MSc student in the MacCallum Group, studying the structural interface of calcium channels and deubiquitinase involved in chronic pain. She was first introduced to the field of Biophysical Chemistry during her honours thesis through the MacCallum Group for her BHSc in Biomedical Sciences from the same institution. Since relocating to Calgary from Vancouver Island to pursue post-secondary education, Alex has seen equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDI-A) issues in science firsthand. This personal journey has fueled her passion for fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment and advocating for EDI-A within the scientific community. In her free time, Alex enjoys running, hiking, DJing, and swimming.
Connor Brandow, Outreach Officer
Connor (he/him) is a 2nd year MSc. Candidate in the Derksen group at the University of Calgary. He received his BSc. In Chemistry at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 2023. Connor intends to take the candidacy exam this year and pursue a Ph.D. in the Derksen group. His research is currently in the field of total synthesis of natural products containing guanidines. Connor is excited to work with UCalgary CIDE to help advocate for greater Equity, Inclusivity and Diversity in the field of Chemistry, and STEM in general. In his free time he enjoys playing lacrosse and tennis, hiking and woodworking.
John Vincent Malvar, Academic Undergraduate Liason
John (he/him) is a second year Master's student in the Heyne group, with a research focused on accessing forbidden transitions in organic chromophores using plasmonic nanoparticles. He completed his BSc in the University of Calgary with a major in Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology and a minor in Nanoscience. Through the Nanoscience program, he was able to do undergraduate research and subsequently developed a passion in Chemistry. Upon seeing the impact of undergraduate research, he is excited to be working as the undergraduate liaison officer and hopes to help establish more opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved with research. When he is not in lab, he enjoys hiking, boxing, and dancing.
Fatemeh Shams, Vice-Chair
Bio coming soon!
Our Founder, Milanpreet Kaur
Milanpreet Kaur is a Ph.D. candidate in the Van Humbeck Group at the University of Calgary. Originally from India, where she did her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry at the University of Delhi. Her research interest is focused on designing a new catalytic system for site-selective C-H functionalization in azaheterocycles. She laid the foundation of CIDE in 2020 and has served as the President for three years. Now, she is acting as the advisory board member to provide guidance to the executive board. In her free time, she enjoys photography, blogging and exploring different places and cultures. Her life goal is to stay purpose driven and to leave a positive impact wherever she goes.
