Introduction to our Technical personnel in Chemical & Biological Engineering Department

This is the 3rd part and the last part of CHBE Staff Info Series. Here are the links for the 1st part: Administration personnel; 2nd part: Management personnel. This post features our staff members from the CHBE Workshop, led by Doug Yuen, the workshop supervisor, CHBE Store, managed by Richard Ryoo, our storekeeper and CHBE Lab, managed by Ken Wong, our lab technician.

Doug Yuen is the Technical team leader of CHBE technical staff. He manages most the technical staff members who help graduate students, faculty member and other researchers in the department to build and  setup there equipment according to specifications provided by requestor. The workshop is divided into two main sections: Mechanical Workshop and Electrical Workshop. Graham Liebelt, Gordon Cheng, Charles Cheung and David Roberts are the mechanical workshop technicians. Alex Thang and Serge Milaire are the electrical workshop technicians. To name a few machines in the workshop, there is a Fadal CNC milling machine, OMAX CNC water jet-cutter, Plasma cutter, TIG welder,TOS lathes, EDM machine and many other machines. Quoting Doug, “Anything you dream,  we can build !” This line perfectly echos the work that is performed by the workshop. However, Doug stressed that detail planning, drawing and deep understanding of a setup have to be done before the job is sent to the workshop. Graduate students should consult their supervisors then consult the workshop about what they wish to build. The most important thing is to have mutual understanding between you and the workshop on the objectives, the problems and the results that are desired from a setup.

Richard Ryoo is our CHBE storekeeper. He handles the delivery and pickup of supplies and instruments of the department. At the same time, Richard keeps the store well-stocked with supplies of consumables, such as paper towels, gloves, small bottles for sample collection, and many other items. He helps us to order items from specified suppliers, provided that you have a speed chart (more info about speed chart, click the hyperlink and find [ctrl+F] “speed chart”). Also, to ease his work, please submit your order using the “New Workshop and Online Ordering System” in CHBE IT Resources.

Ken Wong is our lab technician. His main job is to maintain the undergraduate laboratory in the 4th floor. However, he is also in charge of assigning access to a fob-access laboratory, e.g Lab 506. Ken is the one that provides us with assess to the undergrad lab to obtain ice and distilled water.

Next week, we will feature the summary of Dr. Bi’s professional seminar. Starting the week following that, I will ask graduate students to contribute on posting to describe their research groups. If you wish to contribute, please email me to the email address below.

If you have any suggestion for what you like to see on our weekly news, please email me at jslee@chbe.ubc.ca or comment on this blog post.
Also please join the CHBE Grad Student Club Facebook Group on https://www.facebook.com/groups/chbegsc/ if you are a graduate student or a recent alumni of graduate program of UBC CHBE.

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Introduction to our Management Personnel in Chemical & Biological Engineering Department

This is 2nd part of our CHBE staff Information series. This post features the all management staff except Joanne, who was featured in the previous post about the main office staff. Click this link: [https://blogs.ubc.ca/chbegsc/2013/09/10/weekly-news-1/] to view the info about the personnel in the main office.

Dr. Peter Englezos is our Department Head. He has the ultimate responsibility of all aspects of the operation and development of the department. He has the responsibility to ensure the delivery of high quality undergraduate and graduate programs. The head facilitates the work of faculty to support world class research and oversees all the services and facilities available in the department to support its teaching and research. Dr. Englezos ensures that the financial and other resources are well-managed . The head reports to the Dean of Applied Science on all the academic matters, as well as facilitates collaboration with other engineering departments. Dr. Englezos is working on initiatives with the department’s industry advisory council to increase Co-op placement for the department’s students, to enhance industrial collaboration on research, to enhance student professional skils development, and to fund-raise to support the research and educational activities in CHBE department. Dr. Englezos has an open door policy and If you have any issues that you want to bring up, you can go to his office in room 261.

Dr. James Piret is our Associate Head of Undergraduate Programs. Dr. Piret’s main responsibility lies in supporting the undergraduate academically. He is involved in curriculum issues and other matters related to undergraduate students. He also helps the Department Head in other general aspects of running the department and serves as the Acting Head when Dr. Englezos is away.

Marlene Chow is our Manager of Technical and Physical Resources. She officially became a staff in our department in June 2013. With a comprehensive background in the Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Specialty Paper industries, she offers wide knowledge including technical and safety aspects of chemical, process and project engineering and plant operations. Marlene’s main duties include CHBE safety, the workshop, purchasing and the laboratories.  Marlene takes care of technical building and laboratory issues in CHBE, Gas Gun, and other buildings that CHBE faculty utilize.  She manages the CHBE safety program and offers research project management services.  If you want to see her for research design advice, her office is right beside the CHBE stores in room 173.

Richard Zhang is our Systems Administrator. He handles everything related to IT, from course website setup and login to installation of software in your office computer. Richard occasionally sends out notices about changes or interruption in UBC internet services, and IT tips, such as how to identify phishing messages. His office is in room 261.

Ivan Leversage is our Safety Officer. Most of us, who do work in the lab, will remember him as the one that nudged us to sign up for the chemical engineering safety course. His duties are actually wider than that. He monitors the safety aspects of setting up and decommissioning of an experimental apparatus, and helps students on setup delivery, such as setting up Plant Op service, assigns and monitors storage space for all areas of the building, coordinates and participates in accident/incident investigations and anything that is related to running the building safely and efficiently. I think most important for most of us is that Ivan is the the person to contact should you lock your keys in the office or find you have burnt out lights in your office or a plugged up sink in your lab. His office is in room 437.

The blog will feature the technical staff in the next and final post about CHBE staff.

If you have any suggestion for what you like to see on our weekly news, please email me at jslee@chbe.ubc.ca or comment on this blog post.
Also please join the CHBE Grad Student Club Facebook Group on https://www.facebook.com/groups/chbegsc/ if you are a graduate student or a recent alumni of graduate program of UBC CHBE.

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Introduction to main office personnel in Chemical & Biological Engineering Department

As an undergrad from the same CHBE department, I thought that I knew plenty about the department facility for my MASc program, but that is not true. In CHBE, we have a number of facilities and services that are only open for graduate students. In this weekly issue, I will introduce the administration staff, which are our dearest main office ladies.

UBC CHBE Main Office in room 218

Main office is located on west end of 2nd floor. The dedicated staff members, led by Joanne Dean, are the best team in the department to offer many services available in the department. Joanne is our manager of administrator. Her office locates in room 259. Joanne is responsible for overall Human Resources, Finance, Student Services and general administration of the department.  She supervises the 5 office staff in the main office (room 218).

Amber Lee is our financial clerk. She handles the financial matters, including travel and purchase reimbursement, journal vouchers for supplies and services, processing invoices and other financial matters. For travel and purchase reimbursement, please visit CHBE website, click doc central, complete the form or contact Amber Lee for further assistance.

Helsa Leong is our graduate secretary. She is the first person that welcomes me to the department, and telling me patiently where I should apply for SIN number, even though she has stacks and piles of documents to deal with. She handles all the administrative matters related to graduate students. She assists us with course registrations, TA assignment, and lots of other paperwork. Helsa has been with the Department for more than 20 years!

Lori Tanaka is the Undergraduate Student Support secretary and also acts as the Department receptionist. Although her title sounds like she only handles the undergraduate matters, she also schedules our Friday CHBE 598 seminars and appoints invigilators for the department exams.  Therefore she does interact with the grad students on these basis.  Lori has been with the Department for many many years, almost as long as Helsa!

Magnolia Flores is our administrator and graduate secretary assistant. She joined the department about 1 year ago. She helps Helsa with the graduate program and is the person to contact when Helsa is away. She handles lab and office access, grad program applications and helps organize some events throughout the year. More recently, she organized the graduate student welcome back reception.

Important note: All staff have access to the rooms on the 2nd floor.  If you get locked out of your office, It is advised that graduate students should get keys from Ivan Leversage, our safety officer, at room 437. 

If you have any suggestion for what you like to see on our weekly news, please email me at jslee@chbe.ubc.ca or comment on this blog post.
Also please join the CHBE Grad Student Club Facebook Group on https://www.facebook.com/groups/chbegsc/ if you are a graduate student or a recent alumni of graduate program of UBC CHBE.
Best wishes!

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