Clean Energy Engineering
Instruction and Leadership Team
Instruction Team
The instructors for the Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Clean Energy Engineering are renowned experts who have built strong connections and research partnerships with leading industry players.
Dr. Alizera Bagherzadeh
Alireza Bagherzadeh has been teaching at UBC’s Chemical and Biological Engineering (CHBE) department since 2015. He received his bachelor degree in chemical and petroleum engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran in 2008, his MASc and PhD from UBC’s CHBE department in 2010 and 2015, respectively. His areas of expertise include unconventional sources of natural gas, in particular gas hydrates, and green practices of flow assurance where he simulates anti-freeze proteins at the molecular level.
Dr. Amanda Giang
Dr. Amanda Giang is an Assistant Professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC. Her research addresses challenges at the interface of environmental modelling and policy through an interdisciplinary lens, with a focus on pollution, climate and energy. She is interested in understanding how modelling and data analytics can better empower communities and inform policy decision-making. Her research group is developing digital tools to better understand and respond to environmental injustice in Canada, evaluating the impacts of technology and policy on air quality, and exploring how different kinds of knowledge are used in environmental assessment processes.
Dr. Xiaotao Bi
Dr. Xiaotao (Tony) Bi is a professor in the UBC Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Director of the Clean Energy Research Centre. He is a fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering. His current research focuses on electrostatics of powders in fluidized beds, fluidized bed reactors for biomass gasification, torrefaction and catalytic pyrolysis, and life-cycle analysis and integrated impact assessment of clean energy systems. He has published more than 350 peer-reviewed papers and has been cited 14,500 times with an H-Index of 60. He received a UBC Killam Senior Research Fellowship (2011), AIChE Particle Technology Forum Lectureship Award (2012) and a Teaching Excellence Award from the UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering Department (2014).
The UBC Sauder Robert H. Lee Graduate School business instructors for the MEL in Clean Energy Engineering are renowned experts who lead the way in Canada and internationally in business and management research and knowledge dissemination.
Perry Atawal
Perry Atwal is a lecturer at UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School who has also worked as an assistant dean and executive director of Executive Education and executive director for the Centre for Healthcare Management. Perry has led several successful projects with extremely diverse participants from around the world and spanning industries that include health care, transportation and education. He is one of the most highly rated and award-winning teachers at UBC.
Justin Bull
Justin is the academic director for the MEL and MHLP programs and a lecturer at the UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School and Chair of the Sustainability and Ethics Group. He teaches extensively on sustainability, innovation and strategy, with a focus on graduate and executive learners. He has worked with big companies – like IKEA, Lyft, and Rolling Stone – to implement climate innovations. Justin serves as an advisor and board member to several technology starts-ups and First Nations in Canada. He graduated with a BA in International Relations and a PhD in Wood Science from the University of British Columbia.
Donabel Santos
Donabel Santos is the Associate Director, Business Intelligence at UBC’s Development and Alumni Engagement portfolio where she leads a team of data experts that deliver on operational tasks and strategic data initiatives. A Tableau Accredited Trainer, she has over 18 years of technical and academic experience in the data space – from infrastructure development, data engineering, reporting, analytics and visualization to training and coaching professionals who work with data. She is also the principal of QueryWorks, a boutique consulting and training company specializing in databases and visualization. Donabel was a multi-year Microsoft Data Platform MVP who has authored four technical books and has spoken at numerous conferences.
Leadership Team
Get to know the Clean Energy Engineering Director who is leading the program.
Dr. Vladan Prodanovic
Dr. Vladan Prodanovic has professional interests and expertise in the area of thermodynamics, heat transfer and multiphase flows, particularly in boiling heat transfer. Dr. Prodanovic is also passionate about advancing engineering education, particularly in the area of sustainable engineering design, project-based learning and outreach programs. He is actively publishing in this area, and he also participates in projects related to the implementation of sustainable practices early in the engineering curriculum and improving the Clean Energy Engineering program portfolio. Read the full profile of Vladan Prodanovic.
Application Deadlines
2023 Application Deadlines
The online application portal for 2024 admission opens on January 1, 2023.
Round 1: March 30, 2023
Round 2: June 30, 2023
Round 3 (Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents of Canada, and US citizens only): August 30, 2023
See how to apply section for full details.
How to Apply
