2023 Finalist: Environmental Applications in Energy
Finalist: Milana Trifkovic, Professor, Dept. of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary
Initiative: Unlocking the Potential of Asphaltenes: Asphadots for Energy and Biomedical Advancements
Milana Trifkovic is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary, where she holds the prestigious UCalgary Research Excellence Chair. She obtained her BSc and Ph.D. in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario. Before joining UCalgary in 2013, Milana served as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Minnesota.
Milana’s research has led to the development of advanced functional materials and technologies that are now being commercialized. She is widely recognized for her expertise and leadership in the field, serving as an Associate Editor for the renowned journal Physics of Fluids and as a Co-Chair for the Materials and Chemical Engineering Evaluation Group responsible for evaluating the NSERC Discovery Grants competition. Milana is also an entrepreneur, having registered seven patents and co-founding the start-up EnviCore, which is led by highly qualified personnel from her research group.
In addition to her research accomplishments, Milana has a strong commitment to mentorship, innovation in teaching, and outreach. Notably, she received the Killam Undergraduate Mentorship Award, the GEDC Airbus Diversity Award, and the ASTech Foundation Award for Excellence in Science and Technology Public Awareness.
