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Orlando Rojas

Profile

Research and Teaching Interests

Prof. Orlando Rojas works toward supporting global sustainable development through research on the fundamental and utilization aspects of renewable resources, including lignocellulose, proteins and other biopolymers. His research aims to discover competitive alternatives for fossil materials. Specific research interests include:

  • Nanopolysaccharides (based on cellulose, chitin, starches and others)
  • Bacterial nanocelluloses
  • Cellulose derivatives
  • Lignins, colloidal lignins, nanolignins and their uses
  • Renewable biopolymers (hemicelluloses, proteins, chitin and chitosan, alginates and others)
  • Multiphase systems (emulsions, foams, dispersed systems), gels, aerogels
  • Films, filaments and hybrid materials
  • Nanocomposites
  • Bioactive systems
  • Fiber processing
  • Pulp and paper

Contact

Real name: 
Orlando Rojas
Email: 
Office Room Number(s): 
CHBE 259
Office Phone Number: 
604-822-3457

Curriculum Vitae

Professional Affiliations

  • Department of Chemistry, UBC, Professor
  • Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, UBC, Professor
  • Department of Wood Science, UBC, Professor
  • Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, NC, USA, Adjunct Professor
  • Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Finland, Visiting Professor
  • Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China, Visiting Professor
  • South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China., Guest Professor
  • College of Chem. Engineering, Nanjing Forestry Univ., China., Distinguished Professor

Education

  • Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden, 2003, Postdoctoral Associate
  • Auburn University, USA, 1998, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
  • Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela, 1993, M.Sc, Chemical Engineering
  • Universitat Politecnica Catalunya (UPC), Spain, 1986, M.Sc, Paper Engineering
  • Universidad de Los Andes (ULA), Venezuela, 1985, B.Sc., Chemical Engineering

Awards

  • 2018 Anselme Payen Award
  • 2018 Recipient of the Act of the Year
  • 2018 EU Commission ERC Advanced grant recipient
  • 2018 FinnCERES Finnish Bioeconomy Flagship
  • 2017 Elected member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters
  • 2017 Chair, Materials Platform, Aalto University
  • 2017 Weaver Distinguished Lecturer of Auburn University
  • 2017 Invited Visiting Faculty, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica
  • 2017 Top ten author during the last 5 years in ACS’ journal Biomacromolecules.
  • 2017 Invited speaker of the Royal Society, “New Horizons for Nanocellulose Technology”
  • 2016 Fibrenamics Award, University on Minho, Portugal
  • 2014 Co-director, Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence Program “Molecular Engineering of Biosynthetic Hybrid Materials Research” (2014-2019), Aalto Univ. 

Professional Memberships

  • American Chemical Society
  • Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
  • Canadian Society for Chemistry
  • Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry