Ajay K. Dalai PhD, PEng

Education and Experience

1990 Ph.D., University of Saskatchewan, Canada, Chemical Engineering
1984 M.Tech., Indian Institute of Technology, India, Chemical Engineering
1982 B.Sc. Tech., Nagpur University, India, Chemical Engineering (Petro-chem.Major)
1979 B.Sc. Utkal University, India, Chemistry (Hons)
1977 I.Sc. Utkal University, India, Physics, Chemistry, and Math

Professional Engineer (Alberta), 1993-2000
Professional Engineer (Saskatchewan), 2000-present

Honours (Medals, Fellowships, Prizes):

•  J.W. George Ivany Internationalization Award, University of Saskatchewan, 2020
• Miroslaw Romanowski Medal from the Royal Society of Canada, 2020
• R.S. Jane Memorial Award Winner, Canadian Chemical Engineering Society, 2020 (To watch the recorded lecture video, click here)
• Fellow,  International Association of Advanced Materials, 2020
• Life Time Achievement Award, DRC Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2019
• Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2016
• The Bantrel Award in Design and Industrial Practice, Chemical Institute of Canada, 2014
• Fellow, Royal Society of Canada, 2014
• Fellow, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2013
• Fellow, The American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2013
• Fellow, The Canadian Academy of Engineering, 2012
• Fellow, The Chemical Institute of Canada, 2012
• Glory of India Award, for outstanding contributions in Science & Technology, Education Services, January 2012
• Deepak Group’s Padma Bhushan Prof L K Doraiswamy Chemcon Distinguished Speaker Award, December 2011
• Fulbright Fellowship, Government of USA, 2012
• Award of Innovation (Jointly with Professor Hui Wang and Dr. Jianguo Zhang), Dry Reforming of Methane Using Novel Catalysts, Innovation Place & ILO, University of Saskatchewan, 2011
• Canadian Catalysis Lectureship Award (CCLA), 2011
• Fellow, The Engineering Institute of Canada, 2011
• DAAD Visiting Professor Fellowship, Institute of Industrial Production, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Government of Germany, 2010
• Nominated for Leo Derikx Synergy Award for Innovation with Syncrude Canada Ltd., Natural Science & Engineering, NSERC, 2009
• McMaster University’s Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, Distinguished Speaker Award, 2008
• NEERI Distinguished Speaker Award, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Bharuch, India, 2006
• Professor R.A. Rajadhyaksha Memorial Lecture Series Endowment Lectureship Award, Institute of Chemical Technology, University of Mumbai, India, 2006
• Professor Mann Lecture Series Endowment Lectureship Award, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ottawa, 2006
• Kentucky Colonel Award, in recognition of Research Contributions of Gas to Liquid Technologies at the Centre for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA, 2004
• The Owl Award, Syncrude Canada Ltd., in recognition of Outstanding Contribution to Knowledge Management, 2003
• Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship, 1999
• Petro-Can Young Innovator Award ,1999

Student Competitions:

• G. Kamath, and A.K. Dalai, “Influence of promoters on the activity and selectivity of mesoporpous metallosilicate-suppported cobalt-based FTS catalysts”, Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Halifax, Oct 20-23, 2019 (Best oral presentation).
• S. Nanda, A.K. Dalai, J.A. Kozinski, “Physicochemical, structural and biochemical characterization of agricultural and forestry biomass for biorefining”, IIChE, Chemcon 2017, Haldia, India; December 27–30, 2017 (Second Best Technical Paper)
• S. Nanda, A.K. Dalai and J. Kozinski, Effective utilization of sewage sludge for energy generation using hydrothermal gasification, CHEMCON, Chennai, India, Dec 26-29, 2016 (Best Paper Award)
• M. Gong, S. Nanda, W. Zhu, A.K. Dalai, J.A. Kozinski, “Subcritical and supercritical water gasification of humic acid for hydrogen production”. CHEMCON 2016, Chennai, India, Dec 27-30, 2016 (Best paper presentation award)
• A.K.R. Somidi, R.V. Sharma and A.K. Dalai, Catalytic vicinal diacylation of epoxidized triglycerides in canola oil, 65th Can. Chem. Eng. Conf., Calgary, Oct 4-7, 2015 (Best paper award).
• N. Ding S.N. Reddy, S. Nanda, A.K. Dalai, J.A. Kozinski. Hydrothermal gasification of biomass to hydrogen fuel gas. Chemcon 2013, Mumbai, India, December 27-30, 2013 (CHEMCON Best Paper award)
• Combustion Institute Canadian Section (Speaker's award), S. Nanda (Presenter), A.K. Dalai, J.A. Kozinski. Fast pyrolysis of lignocelluloses – a new technology concept with fixed-bed reactors. Combustion Institute - Canadian Section Spring Technical Meeting, Quebec, Canada, May 13-16, 2013.
• First Prize, Poster Completition, 22^nd Canadian Sympsoium on Catalysis, Quebec City, Quebec, May 13-16, 2012, TPA Supported on SBA as Solid Acid Catalysts for the Biodiesel Production, C. Baroi (Presenter) with Professor A.K. Dalai
• First Prize, Poster Competition, 60^th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, October 24-27, 2010, Inhibition and Deactivation of Catalyst Active Sites by Non-basic Nitrogen Compounds and Their Selective Removal Using Functionalized Polymer, D. Rizwan (Presenter) with Professor A.K. Dalai
• Third Prize, Poster Competition, 60^th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, October 24-27, 2010, A Study of Dispersion of NiMo Oxide and Sulfide Phases on Mesoporous Alumino-Silicate Supports for Hydrotreating Reaction, S. Mohanty (Presenter) with C.M. Kotikalapudi, A.K. Dalai, Y. Hu, Y. and J. Adjaye
• First Prize, Poster Competition, Auto 21 Workshop, Hamilton, ON Canada, Wood Pyrolysis Oil-Upgrading via Solvent Extraction and Hydroprocessing, K. Jacobson, M.Sc. Student (presenter) with Professor A.K. Dalai, 2010.
• V.R. Surisetty and A.K. Dalai, 2010. Higher alcohols synthesis using alkali-promoted trimetallic C-Rh-Mo sulfide catalysts supported on MWCNT and activated carbon. 21^st Canadian Symposium on Catalysis, Banff, AB, Canada, May 9-12, 2010. Awarded Best Poster.
• First Prize, Oral Presentation, 58^th Canadian Society Chemical Engineering (CSChE) Conference, Ottawa, ON Canada, October 19-22, 2008. Effect of Anodic Alumina Pore Diameter on Template-Initiated Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes for their Application as Catalyst Support for Hydroprocessing, S. Sigurdson, M.Sc. Student (presenter) with V. Sundaramurthy, J. Adjaye and  Professor A.K. Dalai, 2008.
• Second Prize, Oral Presentation, 56^th Canadian Society Chemical Engineering (CSChE) Conf., Sherbrooke, QC Canada, October 15-18, 2006, A. D’Cruz (presenter) with A.K. Dalai, 2006.