Primary Research Interest/Expertise

Monitoring the level of exogenous and endogenous chemical in wastewater. Wastewater surveillance for infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Monitoring the bioavailability of chemicals in freshwater and sediment. Developing catalysts to degrade persistent organic pollutants in freshwater.

Background

• Certificate, Professional Ethics for Chemists Course, Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta, Alberta, Canada April 2022.
• Certificate, Jurisprudence Course, Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta, Alberta, Canada Jan 2022.
• Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK Mar 2013 - Nov 2016.
• B.Sc. Industrial Chemistry, Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria. Nov 2005 - Dec 2009.
• N.D. Mechanical Engineering, Federal Polytechnics, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria Nov 2003 - Dec 2005.

Project Manager/Research Associate
Mar 2019 – Present
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• Managing a group of four team members on several environmental monitoring and chemical surveillance projects.
• Wastewater monitoring, sample extraction, analytes quantification, analysis, and results interpretations of population indicators for PHAC.
• Received and prepared wastewater samples for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of pollutants and COVID19 RNA as an environmental surveillance. (This research is reported weekly via https://water.usask.ca/covid-19/#SaskatoonWastewaterData, which helps government decisions. We have also published some of our data in America chemical Society journal and presented it at many seminars and conferences).
• Method development for GC-MS identification of pharmaceuticals and chemical indicators in wastewater which has recently attracted PHAC funding and presented in many fora.
• Provides a weekly update of the SARS-CoV-2 Viral load in wastewater to the principal investigator, government agencies, and news outlets.
• Organizing weekly meetings for a status update and situation reports.

Lecturer and Researcher
Nov 2016 – Feb 2019
Adekunle Ajasin University
Nigeria
• Utilized educational technology such as PowerPoint, remote access, classroom projection systems and course components with interactive capabilities to enhance learning; this became very useful during the pandemic period.
• Tested catalysts performance using GC-FID and characterization using XRD, RAMAN spectroscopy, FTIR, UV-vis, e.tc. Our work on catalysis has been published in several journals, and some of our catalysts are ready to go to the production stage.
• Worked extensively on environmental protection, conflict resolution and waste management. I have a good understanding of environmental issues related to industrial, mining and waste management operations, including storage of hazardous materials, waste management, air emissions, oil and chemical spill response, and reclamation of environmentally impacted areas.
• Developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) to assure “we value health and safety above all else.”
• Helped maintain the laboratory inventory; this helped to account for and audit laboratory chemicals and instruments properly.

Researcher/Laboratory Coordinator
Mar 2013 – Nov 2016
University of Aberdeen
Scotland, United Kingdom
• Determined the properties and activities of synthesized catalyst for hydroconversion reaction by commissioning a reaction rig to perform complex catalysts testing using GC-FID to monitor the reaction products, and catalysts characterizations were done using XRD, TGA-MS, DSC, SEM, TEM, BET surface area analyzer, RAMAN spectroscopy, FTIR, UV-vis, e.tc.
• Designed and commissioned a catalytic reaction system for the isomerization reaction
• Helped maintain inventory of the laboratory to ensure that the lab was never in short supply or lacked any needed materials.
• Incorporated and taught ChemDraw software for the chemistry dept, improving visualization of 3D images of organic and inorganic molecules as a student demonstrator to more than 500 undergraduate students. Performed good laboratory practice