Search
Close this search box.

Emerging Professionals Development Program

Emerging Professionals Development Program

The Emerging Professionals Development Program creates opportunities for young metallurgists or materials scientists. 

For two years, emerging professionals (EPs) get to take part in MetSoc activities. They will get to contribute to the professional community. And be inspired to become future leaders in their field. 

Download the brochure to learn more.

Metsoc EP Brochure

Current Emerging Professionals

Simrat Singh Bhutani

Hatch - Sustainability

(2024-2025 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Konstantinos Korgiopoulos

Kingston Process Metallurgy - Light Metals

(2024-2025 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Samim Mokhtar

Teck - Pyrometallurgy

(2024-2025 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Payton Rossiter

Lycopodium - Mineral Processing

(2024-2025 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Wendy Tian

Ausenco, Toronto office - Mineral Processing

(2024-2025 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Omar Bashir Wani

Vale Base Metals - Sustainability

(2024-2025 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Susanna Zhang

BBA Inc. - Pyrometallurgy

(2024-2025 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Navid Abaeian

Westpro Machinery Inc. – Mineral processing

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Sima Alidokht

Memorial University – Membership Services

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Aya Benotmane

Hatch Ltd.– Sustainability

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Konstantina Chalastara

Hatch Ltd. – Membership Services

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Maéva Chrzaszcz

Hatch Ltd. – Sustainability

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Linda Qin

Rio Tinto – Hydrometallurgy

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Takshi Sachdeva

Hatch Ltd. – Materials

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Candice Simms

Jetti Resources– Hydrometallurgy

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Ashok Srinivasan

METSO OUTOTEC – Sustainability

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

Matthew Tutty

Hatch Ltd. – Mineral Processing

(2023-2024 EP recipient)

Read Bio

May Wee Ang
Sphera Solutions – Sustainability
2022-2023

Thierno Saidou Barry
Groupe AEM Canada Inc. – Hydrometallurgy
2022-2023

Matt Boulby
The Metals Company – Pyrometallurgy
2022-2023

Paulo Gamez Campos
New Gold Inc. – Mineral processing
2022-2023

Renaud Daenzer
Aurel Systems Inc. – Hydrometallurgy
2022-2023

Rachel Ko
HATCH – Sustainability
2022-2023

Mohsen Mohammadijoo
NOVA Chemicals Corporation – Light Metals
2022-2023

Ibrahim Ogunsanya
University of Toronto – Materials
2022-2023

Daniela Rossetto
Eddyfi Technologies, Quebec – Sustainability
2022-2023

Joshua Stroh
School of Engineering, UBC-Okanagan – Light Metals
2022-2023

Hakan Tunc
BBA – Mineral Processing
2022-2023

Shuhong (Max) Shen
Hatch – Materials
2021-2022

Michael Benoit
The University of British Columbia – Light Metals
2021-2022

Sunny Deng
SNC Lavalin – Pyrometallurgy
2022

Alex Cao
Vale Canada Limited – Hydrometallurgy
2020-2021

Abdallah Elsayed
Assistant Professor, University of Guelph – Light Metals
2020-2021

Jessica Hiscocks
Kingston Process Metallurgy – Light Metals
2020-2021

Fangyu Liu
Hatch – Hydrometallurgy
2020-2021

Arthur Stokreef
Glencore – Pyrometallurgy
2020-2021

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

A Day in the Life of a MetSoc EP

  • Presents at a conference
  • Reviews papers for conferences
  • Assists in the organization of poster sessions
  • Assists in organizing short courses
  • Technical section treasurer/secretary
  • Participates in organizing Webinars
  • Contributes to interviews with professionals
  • Participates in technical Bulletins
  • Assists with technical section activities
  • Assists in the MetSoc Publications-upcoming project

The call for applications is CLOSED for 2024. We will reopen in the fall.

Application Information

Make a Lasting Connection

Become an active volunteer, a sponsor, donate to our student fund, or advertise with MetSoc.

Support Us

MetSoc is a constituent society of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).

Newsletter Sign Up

Contact Us

Suite 1040, 3500 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W. Westmount, QC, Canada H3Z 3C1

Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin

© 2024 MetSoc of CIM.

Sitemap

Privacy Policy

Designed by Azuro Digital

Simrat has experience in production of low carbon and green hydrogen and ammonia projects across the world. He has supporting client’s sustainability objectives through various climate change and decarbonization related engagements including the compilation of GHG inventories and life cycle assessments (LCAs).

He has worked in the fertilizer industry and have practical experience in the process control, emission reduction and process improvement and worked on various projects based on energy audits, carbon pricing, hydrogen from biogas and green steel.

Konstantinos, a PhD graduate from McGill University in Materials Engineering, currently leads Kingston Process Metallurgy (KPM) Montreal Operations. In addition to his role at KPM, he is an active mentor at McGill Engine, guiding aspiring engineers and entrepreneurs. Before joining KPM, Konstantinos founded a startup focused on accelerated light alloys development through machine learning. During his doctoral studies, he specialized in designing magnesium casting alloys for automotive applications and led industrial projects as a consultant in the same field. With a rich background spanning academia, entrepreneurship, and industry, Konstantinos brings a unique blend of expertise to his work. He is driven by a passion for innovation and is dedicated to bringing cutting-edge technologies and solutions to the market.

Samim is a process engineer at Teck and is currently working at their zinc and lead smelting and refining complex. He has been instrumental in driving several initiatives to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, productivity, and safety of the site’s unit operations. With an extensive background in various metallurgical processes, Samim’s experience spans water treatment, roasting, resin-in-leach gold recovery, zinc purification, electrowinning, and cadmium distillation.

His recent focus has pivoted to non-ferrous pyrometallurgy and optimizing operations with the KIVCET furnace, providing an excellent opportunity to witness the implementation of new technologies and observe their outcomes firsthand. For instance, Samim is leveraging advancements in data analytics and machine learning to analyze large amounts of process data to support strategic decision-making. Samim eagerly looks forward to participating in the emerging professional program, building meaningful connections, and exchanging innovative ideas with fellow professionals.

Payton is an engineer-in-training with three years of experience in mineral and metallurgical processing. She graduated from Queen’s University with a BASc in Chemical Engineering, earning first class honours. Her career experience has included working in R&D relating to lithium-ion battery resource recovery, and conducting process and project engineering work on a variety of other projects within the minerals and metals industry. She has taken an interest in becoming more involved in her field by attending industry events such as the Southern Ontario CMP AGM and the International Process Metallurgy Symposium at Aalto University, and is excited to further compliment her career development by participating in the EP Program.

Wendy (Xinyi) Tian, holding degrees from UBC and University of Toronto, is a dynamic engineer with a focus on the sustainability of mineral processing. As part of the winning team of Crush It! Challenge, she worked on the microwave applications in mineral processing for energy efficiency. Now a process engineer at Ausenco, Wendy specializes in layout design and feasibility studies. Her commitment to innovation and sustainability drives her to optimize processes for maximum efficiency, both professionally and in her community endeavors.

Omar Wani, a Senior Scientist in Vale’s hydrometallurgy group at the Technology and Innovation Center in Mississauga, holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto. His work at Vale involves providing ongoing support to global operations, developing new process flowsheets, identifying opportunities for improvement, and integrating decarbonization pathways into existing operations. Prior to joining Vale, he was a scientific researcher at the University of Alberta, focusing on decarbonization pathways for the mining industry, application of novel reagents for processing low-grade ultramafic nickel ores and hydrogen production via natural gas pyrolysis.

Meet Susanna, an Extractive Metallurgical Consultant at BBA Inc. in Toronto. With a Bachelor of Engineering Chemistry from Queen’s University, she excels in base metals support, from laboratory and market analysis to mining and processing. Notably, she presented a green flowsheet at COM2022 and contributed to several publications and business development initiatives, showcasing her innovation and communication skills. Susanna now focuses on pyrometallurgy. Her journey, from eco-advocacy since middle school to leading and experiencing unexpected blessings such as rebooting QueensU MetSoc chapter, underscores her commitment to sustainability and resilience. Grateful and eager to contribute, she joins the emerging professional program for the upcoming COM sessions.

Navid Abaeian is a Mineral processing Engineer EIT at Westpro Machinery Inc Based in Vancouver BC. He was born in Italy and raised in Iran. He obtained his BSc and MSc in metallurgical engineering from IKIU and the University of Tehran. After his graduation, he has been involved in Iron mineral processing, pelletizing, sintering, steel making and steel forming in Iran and Australia. In 2019, He started his M. Eng in Mechanical Engineering at Concordia University in Montreal. Since then, he has been involved with research, operation, engineering of Iron ore and TiO2 Mineral Processing and related KPI process optimizations in QC, NL and BC. In his current Role, he supports sizing, design and process considerations of Machineries being used in the Mineral processing of various minerals.

Dr. Sima Alidokht is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Memorial University. She also holds an Adjunct Professor position at McGill University. Prior to joining Memorial in 2022, she held various research positions at McGill University, including research associate, postdoctoral researcher, and part-time lecturer. She has conducted collaborative research with universities and government labs in Canada, the US, France, and Taiwan, as well as industrial sectors such as the Canadian Space Agency, Hatch Engineering, and Pratt and Whitney USA and Canada. Dr. Alidokht’s expertise lies in designing and developing tribological coatings and exploring the process-structure-property relationships in these materials. She has published over 65 journal papers, book chapters, and conference presentations.

Aya Benotmane is a junior Engineer-in-Training at Hatch’s Climate Change business practice. She holds a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Toronto in Chemical Engineering with a specialization in Advanced Water Technologies and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. She has extensive cross-disciplinary team experience working with global mining and metals clients. Experienced in process engineering, carbon accounting, decarbonization technology evaluation, and developing decarbonization road maps. She is dedicated to improving efficiency, productivity, and profitability of clients through the development and execution of innovative, cost-effective solutions.

Konstantina Chalastara holds a Ph.D. in mining and materials engineering from McGill University and an engineering diploma in mining and metallurgical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece with excellent academic and research record. Dr Chalastara is currently a process engineer in hydrometallurgy at Hatch Ltd.

Konstantina is a champion for environmental sustainability and promoter of early STEM education. During her studies she worked on crystallization of TiO2 nanoparticles in a CSTR, synthesis and characterization of nano-iron particles, and water decontamination with a focus on selenium, arsenic, and chromium.

As a member of the emerging professionals 2023 cohort, she aims to expand her knowledge and broaden her network by collaborating with other EPs, in industry and academia.

Maéva is a Junior Process Metallurgist in the Pyrometallurgy group at Hatch where she focuses on decarbonization solutions for the metals industry. She is a recent graduate from McGill University with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering.

Since completing her studies and joining Hatch, Maéva’s various project work has made her more aware of the challenges faced by the metals industry to decarbonize, motivating her to become part of the solution. As a young professional in pyrometallurgy, she strongly believes that overcoming these challenges requires a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach.

Graduated with a B. Eng. in chemical engineering at McGill in 2020, I started my career at Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium’s Technology and Critical Minerals Center in the TiO2 Group. As a research engineer, I had the opportunity to participate in the commissioning a pilot plant for the extraction of scandium oxide, provide support at our UGS slag leaching plant, perform a life cycle assessment of all RTIT products, simulate METSIM models of novel TiO2 pigment production technologies and of our new BlueSmeltingTM process. As a young professional, I look forward to joining Metsoc’s EP program to exchange with other engineers and scientists to further develop my knowledge and skills on the extraction of minerals and metals.

Hi! I am Takshi, a young engineer with 2 years of exciting work experience at Hatch. I have had the privilege to work on many breakthrough new technologies in the ironmaking space with an amazing team and collaborative clients. As a young professional, I am looking forward to developing meaningful connections with industry leaders and my peers and potentially working together on new projects in the future.

Candice Simms is a Junior Metallurgist at Jetti Resources. Her role is primarily managing testwork of Jetti’s chalcopyrite leaching technology on ore from around the world. She also works on innovation projects within the company,

In 2022, Candice completed a B.A.Sc. in Materials Engineering at UBC. She completed two capstone projects that were focused on copper hydrometallurgy which facilitated her interest in the field. Previously, Candice worked as a mineral processing co-op student at Red Chris Mine. She was recognized for her excellence and dedication in mineral processing by receiving the 2021 CMP BC-Yukon Mineral Processing Scholarship.

Beyond her professional interests, she spends her time hiking, climbing, paddling, and biking. Candice looks forward to both her outdoor adventures and an adventurous career in mining and hydrometallurgy.

Hello Team, my name is Ashok Srinivasan (Ash), I am currently working as Manager Technical Sales Support for Metso. Metso is a frontrunner in sustainable technologies providing end – end solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries globally. I am based in Montreal, Quebec. In all my years of experience, I have gained most of my knowledge facing daily challenges, continuous learning and believing in my core values. I enjoy hiking and outdoor activities. I always mention to my friends and colleagues, in a time where the only constant is change and the business demands for more, its important to be adaptable and learn to follow our core values.

Matthew is an Engineer-in-Training in Hatch’s Climate Change Practice. In his role, Matthew partners with global extractive resource companies to advance strategies to achieve their decarbonization goals. He has broad experience across various aspects of developing climate change strategy including calculating emissions inventories, conducting climate-related risk analysis, and identifying and quantifying greenhouse gas emission reduction opportunities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Western University and an Honours of Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business. Matthew was the recipient of the Engineers Canada Gold Medal Student Award in 2021 for his contributions during university to the engineering community. His professional goal is to aid heavy-emitting industries in decarbonizing and shifting towards the low-carbon economy.