New Analytical Instrumentation Employment Opportunities in the VandenBoer Group!

Analytical Method and Instrument Development for the Quantitation of Reactive Nitrogen in the Indoor Environment

The VandenBoer Group is currently searching for several graduate students interested in the development of new analytical methodologies and instrumentation for quantifying reactive nitrogen towards understanding the chemistry of the indoor environment. There are three major questions being pursued with funding provided by the Alfred P Sloan Foundation Chemistry of the Indoor Environment program:

1. Can ammonia and amines be collected quantitatively indoors by passive sampling?
2. Can a selective passive sampling method for nitrous acid (HONO) be developed?
3. Can the total reactive nitrogen (Nr) in indoor environments be quantified and fractionated?

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Analytical Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis, preferably with some course-based exposure to Synthetic, Atmospheric, and Environmental Chemistry. Additional assets of interested applicants include experience in Experimental Physics, Electrical or Software Engineering, or Mathematics. Contact Dr. VandenBoer at tvandenb@yorku.ca with your CV, academic transcripts, and contact information for two to three (2-3) professional references.

2017 York University 26th Annual Schiff Lecture: Prof. Jon Abbatt (UofT)

The annual Harold I Schiff Lecture is held by the Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry at York University. This year's speaker was Professor Jon Abbatt from the University of Toronto, who highlighted the impact of Schiff's writing with Lydia Dotto in 'The Ozone War' as an historic work making atmospheric chemistry accessible to the public. Professor Abbatt highlighted a wide variety of findings from work funded by NSERC from the internationally collaborative NETCARE project exploring the nature of atmospheric aerosol in the Canadian Arctic. 

Welcome to York Adam!!

Adam Selig has joined the VandenBoer Group at York University this fall to pursue an MSc degree in Chemistry. Welcome Adam!

Collaborative excursion to Syracuse University!

Dr. VandenBoer traveled to Syracuse with colleague Dr. Cora Young to participate in the setup and testing of a new sampling system with collaborator Dr. Tara Kahan. Looking forward to the next visit and the great science that is about to ensue!

The VandenBoer Group has relocated to York University

Trevor has moved to the Department of Chemistry at York University in Toronto, Ontario to take up a new position as a Visiting Professor and Adjunct Faculty member. He began his new position on September 1, 2017 along with new MSc student Adam Selig. The adventure started with a reunion of past group members and collaborators currently studying and working in the Toronto Area, followed by the Integrating Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics from Earth to Space (IACPES) seminar series. 

Congratulations Aleya! 2017 Lorne Bonnell Scholarship Recipient

Congratulations to Aleya Quilty on her receipt of the 2017 Lorne Bonnell Scholarship towards the pursuit of her MSc!! Aleya also managed to meet Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this year!

Visiting ETH Zürich

Following the Healthy Buildings conference in Poland, Dr. VandenBoer traveled through Germany to Switzerland to visit colleagues Dr. Zamin Kanji (Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science) and Dr. Nadine Borduas (Department of Environmental Systems Science) at ETH Zürich. They provided walkthrough tours of their state-of-the-art labs studying interactions between aerosols and cloud nuclei, as well as of the city and its many forms of chocolate and cheese! 

Healthy Buildings 2017 - Lublin, Poland

Dr. VandenBoer was invited to present his work on measuring ultra-trace levels of atmospheric amines at the Healthy Buildings conference in Lublin, Poland in a session sponsored by the Sloan Foundation. Many colleagues from the outdoor atmospheric chemistry community attended in the exciting sessions on the chemical composition and potential chemistry of indoor air, the control and movement of air in the built environment, and the indoor microbiome. Na zdrowie!

Courtney Laprise receives NSERC-USRA for the summer of 2017!

Congratulations to Courtney Laprise on her receipt of another NSERC-USRA to complete the preparation of her honours work for publication and start new adventures in environmental/analytical chemistry this summer!

Courtney’s honours presentations are given and thesis submitted!

Courtney Laprise is completing a double major and so gave two presentations for her honours project, one in Earth Sciences and another in Chemistry. Courtney summarized a huge amount of work spanning these disciplines in the short time available and subsequently submitted her thesis. Great work Courtney!