Nikolai Burton
PHD STUDENT, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Improving the planet, one process at a time
ENGINEERING
Nikolai Burton
PHD STUDENT, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Improving the planet, one process at a time
For Nikolai Burton, leaving his home in Barbados to pursue his undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo was about following a budding passion.
Near the end of high school, his teacher gave the class an interesting challenge: assess the environmental risks and impact of a processing plant that converts bauxite, a type of ore, into aluminum.
The experience of exploring the ins and outs of an engineering problem awakened his fascination for something even bigger — how processes are designed and how they can be reimagined to be better for businesses, for people and for the environment.
Today those questions are at the heart of Nikolai’s research in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Waterloo.
“Chemical engineers scale up processes and I was kind of obsessed with how things work, so it was the perfect fit for me,” he says.
Laying a foundation for success
The international student, who was awarded the David Johnson International Student Entrance Scholarship in 2022, first came to Waterloo in 2016 to pursue his bachelor’s degree. He was attracted to the University for its strong reputation in engineering, as well as its internationally recognized co-op program, which, over the course of his undergrad, allowed him to explore diverse career options in wastewater treatment, pharmaceuticals, oil, plant design and HVAC.
During that time, he built lasting friendships within a tight-knit cohort and found community in clubs on campus, including the Association of Caribbean Students (ACS) and the African Student Association (ASA).
Digging deeper every day
While Nikolai had always considered graduate studies, it was his final-year Capstone Design Project that sealed the deal. That project focused on exploring an alternative method of natural gas dehydration, replacing glycol absorbers — the traditional method — with more efficient graphene oxide membranes.
“We did a whole economic analysis to see if the technology would be viable for industry. Now in my graduate research, the application I’m looking at is for HVAC — dehumidifying the air.”
The goal of the research, under the supervision of Engineering professors Jeffrey Gostick and Michael Pope, is to model and design better membrane support that improves the way air and other gasses are dehumidified. The overarching goal is to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of building cooling.
“Every day I dig deeper and deeper into a theory and I'm basically thinking about, how can I improve this membrane?” Nikolai says. “What would be the energy savings, the cost savings, the economics around it, which would ultimately lead to a better benefit for society?”
“The best feeling ever”
Reflecting on his experience with graduate studies so far, Nikolai says he appreciates the change of pace from his undergraduate days, especially having the freedom to manage his own time and stay focused on an end goal.
“In grad studies, you get a certain level of autonomy. You have to be independent and responsible enough to get your research done, but you can also take breaks, take care of yourself.”
Being able to pursue a project that ignites his curiosity is a valuable part of the experience for Nikolai. As someone who’s excited by the whole process of taking ideas from lab-scale to industrial-scale, he sees himself eventually working as a process development expert, analyzing the numbers and science behind new technologies to see if they’re viable for business.
“One of the things I really like is seeing my designs come to life. If what I expected matches what’s actually happening, it’s the best feeling ever. And if it doesn’t, it’s an opportunity to learn something new.”
Laying a foundation for success
The international student, who was awarded the David Johnson International Student Entrance Scholarship in 2022, first came to Waterloo in 2016 to pursue his bachelor’s degree. He was attracted to the University for its strong reputation in engineering, as well as its internationally recognized co-op program, which, over the course of his undergrad, allowed him to explore diverse career options in wastewater treatment, pharmaceuticals, oil, plant design and HVAC.
During that time, he built lasting friendships within a tight-knit cohort and found community in clubs on campus, including the Association of Caribbean Students (ACS) and the African Student Association (ASA).
Digging deeper every day
While Nikolai had always considered graduate studies, it was his final-year Capstone Design Project that sealed the deal. That project focused on exploring an alternative method of natural gas dehydration, replacing glycol absorbers — the traditional method — with more efficient graphene oxide membranes.
“We did a whole economic analysis to see if the technology would be viable for industry. Now in my graduate research, the application I’m looking at is for HVAC — dehumidifying the air.”
The goal of the research, under the supervision of Engineering professors Jeffrey Gostick and Michael Pope, is to model and design better membrane support that improves the way air and other gasses are dehumidified. The overarching goal is to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of building cooling.
“Every day I dig deeper and deeper into a theory and I'm basically thinking about, how can I improve this membrane?” Nikolai says. “What would be the energy savings, the cost savings, the economics around it, which would ultimately lead to a better benefit for society?”
“The best feeling ever”
Reflecting on his experience with graduate studies so far, Nikolai says he appreciates the change of pace from his undergraduate days, especially having the freedom to manage his own time and stay focused on an end goal.
“In grad studies, you get a certain level of autonomy. You have to be independent and responsible enough to get your research done, but you can also take breaks, take care of yourself.”
Being able to pursue a project that ignites his curiosity is a valuable part of the experience for Nikolai. As someone who’s excited by the whole process of taking ideas from lab-scale to industrial-scale, he sees himself eventually working as a process development expert, analyzing the numbers and science behind new technologies to see if they’re viable for business.
“One of the things I really like is seeing my designs come to life. If what I expected matches what’s actually happening, it’s the best feeling ever. And if it doesn’t, it’s an opportunity to learn something new.”