Soltan appointed USask Engineering’s Associate Dean Research and Partnerships

His five-year term officially began July 1, and he will serve until June 30, 2027. Soltan, a professor in the college’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, has been serving as interim Associate Dean Research and Partnerships for the past six months, as well as Acting Associate Dean Graduate Studies and Strategic Projects.

Soltan grew up in Iran, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering at the Abadan Institute of Technology (now the Petroleum University of Technology) and his master’s at Shiraz University. He completed his PhD in chemical engineering in 1998 at the University of British Columbia and joined USask Engineering in 2007 after working as a faculty member at Sahand University of Technology in Iran.

His current research areas include treatment of polluted air; degradation of emerging pollutants in water; application of ultrasound in decomposition of toxic chemicals in water; and using functionalized adsorbents to remove residual antibiotics in wastewater.

Over his academic career, Soltan has trained more than 40 graduate students, published 90-plus journal papers and more than 10 technical reports, and he holds three patents. His work has been supported by more than 40 grants from funding agencies including the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Mitacs, and the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF). 

“Professor Soltan is an enthusiastic and compassionate teacher who is committed to students’ success as they navigate their own learning journeys from undergraduate/graduate degrees to becoming professional engineers and scholars,” Dean Suzanne Kresta noted in announcing his appointment to the college.

Since 2010, Soltan has also served on various committees with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS), including the Academic Review Committee. During that time, he has developed exceptional skills in building partnerships with the people of Saskatchewan, Kresta said. His network of colleagues and collaborators across our province, our country and many international partners will bring a richly diverse perspective to his new portfolio, she added.