_{Grenfell graduate student Arlene Ononiwu (left) with supervisor Dr. Shegufa Shetranjiwalla-Merchant}

 

Grenfell graduate student Arlene Ononiwu was selected for one of only 60 spots at the American Chemical Society's Green Chemistry Summer School.

Hosted by the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute (GCI) this summer at the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT, United States, the summer school is a highly competitive and selective week-long program for graduate students and postdoctoral chemists and engineers. Each year, exceptional students from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean apply for and are selected from a large pool of applicants to gather for this fully funded once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The American Chemical Society pays for all eligible travel and program costs.

“It was amazing to have the chance to learn from expert instructors in fields that relate to green chemistry and sustainability,” said Ms. Ononiwu, a Nigerian-Jamaican pursuing an M.Sc. in Boreal Ecosystems and Agricultural Sciences at Memorial’s Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook, N.L.

Ms. Ononiwu’s research includes extracting chitosan from invasive European Green Crabs, which are causing major biodiversity loss in the Atlantic region to develop sustainable materials. She is developing green protocols for biobased nanoparticle synthesis from green crabs and applying cost analysis and industry tools for quantitative environmental metrics.  These protocols will evaluate greenness and potential for scale-up.

Ms. Ononiwu attended lectures by internationally renowned faculty in green chemistry and participate in interactive study/project sessions. She presented her research, held discussions and built an international collaborative network from academia and industry. She also highlighted the unique needs of northern Canada, particularly Newfoundland and Labrador, in her presentations.  

“Students and post-docs who have completed this program have gone on to become leaders in many green chemistry and sustainability-related fields,” she said. “I am grateful to have been offered this opportunity and to have the support of my supervisor, Dr. Shegufa Shetranjiwalla-Merchant.”

Dr. Shetranjiwalla-Merchant said the ACS GCI Summer School is an immensely rich experience,  bringing together champions of green and sustainable chemistry from different nations with diverse backgrounds. 

“These discussions and collaborations are crucial for building leadership and stewardship to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” she said. “Arlene was the first representative at this international platform from Grenfell Campus.” 

For more information about the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Summer School, click here.