Samira Shirvani received her BSc in Chemical Engineering from Isfahan University of Technology in 2012 and then completed an MSc in Chemical Engineering at the University of Tehran in 2015. After graduation, she found an opportunity to work as a research assistant at Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute (IPPI). During her three years of working at IPPI, Samira learnt a lot about catalyst synthesis, catalyst characterization, and catalytic processes. As she was working on different industrial and scientific projects, she was also publishing several peer reviewed journal papers. To learn more in depth knowledge about catalysis, she decided to pursue her academic studies by attending a world-class PhD program at The University of British Columbia, which is one of the best destinations for continuing an academic career– not only because of its worldwide reputation but also because of the brilliant professors working here.
After arriving at UBC in May 2018, Samira was the recipient of the coveted Four Year Fellowship for doctoral students.