Shaping a Greener Future: Profiles of Graduate Students in Sustainability

Three Faculty of Engineering graduate students are driving impactful change in renewable energy, environmental biotechnology and green chemistry. These students have contributed to a cleaner, more sustainable world through projects like renewable systems integration, safe energy transportation and innovative waste conversion.

Empowering Sustainable Energy

Mohammad Adnan Kamal Magableh’s journey in renewable energy research began with his top-ranked graduation in electrical engineering from the Jordan University of Science and Technology. Awarded a prestigious five-year scholarship to study abroad, he joined the University of Alberta for his MSc and PhD studies, focusing on renewable energy systems.

Mohammad maintained a 4.0 GPA at the U of A and earned numerous scholarships, awards and honours for his research on hybrid renewable energy systems integrating solar, wind and energy storage technologies. “Every aspect of my work supports Canada’s net-zero carbon goals,” he shares. “I’m constantly exploring innovative solutions to improve the stability and resilience of renewables within the national grid.”

His findings, published in prestigious high-impact journals and presented at leading conferences, tackle critical dynamic stability challenges, including instabilities arising when renewable sources interact with electrical grids. “It’s about building stronger, more resilient grids that can sustain renewable expansion without compromising reliability,” he explains.

Mohammad’s contributions align with Canada’s renewable energy expansion, with Alberta leading the country with a 92% increase in renewable capacity—a development partly supported by pioneering studies like Mohammad’s.

Beyond his research, Mohammad is dedicated to supporting his peers and fostering a collaborative community within the Faculty of Engineering. As a Graduate Research Fellow Assistant, Teaching Assistant and Vice President for the ECE Graduate Students’ Association, he mentors students in mathematics and guides those pursuing engineering studies. Mohammad attributes much of his success to his supervisor, ECE Professor Yasser A.-R. I. Mohamed, IEEE Fellow and a world-renowned expert in the grid integration of renewable energy resources. ““Prof. Mohamed’s mentorship has been a huge part of my academic journey, empowering me to tackle real-world energy challenges and make significant strides in renewable energy research,” says Mohammad. As he nears his PhD defense, Mohammad remains dedicated to advancing sustainable energy solutions that align with Canada’s environmental ambitions.

Outside of his studies, Mohammad enjoys playing chess with friends at the university’s chess club.

Transporting Renewable Energy

James Tatum, a graduate student under Professor. Hao Zhang in Chemical and Materials Engineering, is focused on using computational and theoretical methods to ensure the safe and efficient transport of renewable energy. James’s current project examines the suitability of existing steel pipelines for transporting hydrogen, a clean energy carrier that could play a major role in the renewable energy transition. Hydrogen embrittlement, a process that can weaken steel, is a key risk when repurposing pipelines, and James uses numerical simulations to analyze how steel atoms interact with hydrogen.

“We want to put renewables into the pipelines, but we need to know how the hydrogen interacts with pipelines already in use,” James explains. His previous research focused on producing hydrogen from methane in a process that heats methane to high temperatures, breaking it down into hydrogen and carbon. Now, he is exploring how to transport hydrogen safely and cost-effectively, with pipelines emerging as the most affordable solution—if they can be proven safe.

Originally from Fort McMurray, James is Cree Métis. Outside of his research, he enjoys board games, video games and pickleball. He shares his life with his wife and their 62-pound golden doodle, Peach.

Transforming CO2 into Bioenergy

Calvin Chung, a PhD student working under Professor Bipro Dhar, is pioneering ways to convert greenhouse gasses, such as CO₂ into renewable energy. His work focuses on microbial electrosynthesis systems (MES), a cutting-edge biotechnology that uses specialized microbes to convert CO₂ biogas generated from organic wastes into high-purity methane—a process known as biogas upgrading. Once MES transforms biogas into pure methane, it can be a renewable alternative to fossil fuels, offering a pathway for sustainable natural gas production that could power our homes and industries while reducing our reliance on non-renewable resources. “With MES, we can turn CO₂ into something valuable and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s an exciting step toward a circular, low-carbon economy,” says Calvin.

Calvin’s journey to this research focus began with his undergraduate and master’s studies at the U of A, where he initially concentrated on biosensors to detect contaminants in oil sands process water. Inspired by the need for sustainable energy solutions, he shifted to bioenergy research, recognizing the potential of using fossil-fuel-derived CO₂ and biogas to provide clean energy. By converting this CO₂ and biogas into methane that meets pipeline standards, Calvin’s work supports the replacement of conventional fossil fuels with renewable natural gas, a cleaner alternative for heating, electricity generation and potentially supplying energy to various industries.

Outside of his research, Calvin spends time at the dog park with his two Westie-Bichons, Cookie and Cocoa, and enjoys hobbies like tennis, collecting Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards and watching anime.

Through research that bridges theory and real-world application, Mohammad Adnan, James and Calvin contribute to innovative solutions in renewable energy, sustainable materials and waste conversion. Their work lays essential groundwork for a cleaner, greener world, reflecting the Faculty of Engineering's dedication to making impactful change.