Professor and Associate Chair, Graduate Studies, Department of Chemical Engineering
Education
| Year | Institution | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | University of Waterloo | Ph.D. |
| 1991 | Shiraz University | M.Sc |
| 1988 | University of Sistan & Balushestan | B.Sc. |
Areas of Specialization: Advanced oxidation technologies for water and wastewater treatment; Climate change effects on water quality & quantity; Integration of advanced oxidation technologies and biological processes for the treatment of water and wastewater; Photochemical reaction engineering in environmental processes.
About Dr. Mehrvar
Dr. Mehrab Mehrvar is a Full Professor of Chemical Engineering at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Since 2020, he has also served as the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Department of Chemical Engineering. In this role, he is committed to enhancing and promoting the quality of education of graduate programs.
Dr. Mehrvar began his administrative journey as Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering (2009–2011). In 2024, he was appointed Interim Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, in the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science. In 2025, he also served as Interim Associate Dean, Programs, at the Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (YSGPS).
Alongside his leadership roles, Dr. Mehrvar is deeply passionate about teaching. Since 1998, he has taught both undergraduate and graduate-level courses. His philosophy centers on the idea that teaching requires not only subject matter expertise but also the skill to transfer that knowledge effectively. He encourages students to engage through critical thinking, hands-on practice, and solving real-world problems.
A dedicated researcher, Dr. Mehrvar has secured over $2.5 million in research funding from agencies such as NSERC, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES), industry partnerships, and internal university grants. He has supervised or co-supervised:
55+ Master’s and PhD students
80+ research assistants and visiting scholars
Numerous undergraduate thesis projects
His academic contributions include:
138+ refereed journal publications
6 book chapters
40 conference proceedings
250+ conference presentations and abstracts
Accomplishments
| Years | Honours and Awards |
|---|---|
Teaching and Education Awards:
|
|
| 2017, 2020, 2025 | Yates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (YSGPS) Outstanding Contribution to Graduate Education Awards, Toronto Metropolitan University |
|
Scholarly, Research and Creative Activity Awards:
|
| 2019 | Sarwan Sahota TMU Distinguished Scholar Award, The Highest Scholarly, Research, and Creativity Honour, Toronto Metropolitan University |
| 2013, 2018, 2021, 2024 | Deans' SRC (Scholarly, Research and Creative Activity) Awards, Toronto Metropolitan University |
| 2012 | Departmental Research Award, Chemical Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University |
| 1997 | Dr. T.E. Unny Memorial Award, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |
| 1995, 1997 | University of Waterloo Graduate Award |
| 1994, 1995, 1996 | Faculty of Engineering Award, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |
| 1996 | International Graduate Student Award, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |
Service Awards:
|
|
| 2025 | AVP International's Global Learning Award, Toronto Metropolitan University |
| 2024 | Deans' Service Awards, Toronto Metropolitan University |
Organizing Conferences
- Conference Chair, 7th International Conference on Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering (RTESE’23) and 8th Latin-American Congress of Photocatalysis, Photochemistry and Photobiology (8th LACP3), Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 2023. Conference Website (external link, opens in new window)
- Conference Chair, 6th International Conference on Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering (RTESE’22), Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, June 5-7, 2022. Conference Website (external link, opens in new window)
- Conference Chair, 5th International Conference on Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering (RTESE’21), Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, May 17-19, 2021. See Past Events (external link, opens in new window)
- Conference Chair, 4th International Conference on Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering (RTESE’20), Virtual, Canada, Nov 12-14, 2020. See Past Events (external link)
- Conference Chair, 3rd International Conference on Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering (RTESE’19), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 10-12, 2019. See Past Events (external link, opens in new window)
- Conference Chair, 2nd International Conference on Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering (RTESE’18), Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, June 10-12, 2018. See Past Events (external link, opens in new window)
- Conference Chair, International Conference on Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering (RTESE’17), Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 23-25, 2017. See Past Events (external link, opens in new window)
Journal Editorialship
- Editor, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering (RTESE'19) Ottawa, ON, Canada (June 11-12, 2019), 2018–Present.
- Guest Editor, Environments, MDPI, Special issue: “Advanced Oxidation Applications II”, 2021–Present.
- Guest Editor, Special Issue for the journal of “Catalysts”, "State-of-the-Art Photocatalytical Technology in North America”, 2018–Present.
- Guest Editor, Special Issue for the journal of “Catalysts”, "Photocatalyst in Wastewater Treatment”, 2020–Present.
- Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Nutrition and Food Science Forecast, 2018–Present.
- Member, Editorial Board, International Journal of Engineering & Technology Research (International Academy for Science & Technology Education and Research (IASTER)), 2013–Present.
- Member, Editor, Gavin Journal of Current Research in Biopolymers, 2018–Present.
- Member, Editorial Board, The Open Waste Management Journal, 2018–Present.
- Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 2017–Present.
- Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Petroleum Research, 2014–Present.
- Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Chemistry (Environmental Chemistry), Hindawi, 2018–Present.
- Member, Editorial Board, Chemical Engineering and Process Techniques, 2013–Present.
- Member, Editorial Board, Revista Ciencias e Ingeniería al Día, Universidad de Cartagena, Colombia, 2011-Present.
- Member, Editorial Board, International Scientific Advisory Board, Saber, Ciencias y Libertad, Universidad Libre, Sede Cartagena, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, 2010–Present
- Member, Editorial Board, Advances in Chemistry, 2013–2019.
- Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of Modern Chemical Engineering, 2013–2019.
- Lead Guest Editor, International Journal of Photoenergy, 2012–2014.
To Students
Dr. Mehrvar enjoys teamwork and interacting with different groups of researchers, especially with training graduate and undergraduate students. Below are some advice from Dr. Mehrvar to the students:
- Participate in conferences and present your work, no matter how small or big their results are. You will get constructive feedback and learn about your discipline.
- Participate in seminars.
- Take extracurricular activities. They are so important and beneficial.
- Have regular meetings with your supervisors, both in groups and/or individually.
- Offer to present your research progress regularly to your supervisors.
"I encourage all my graduate students to learn more than their own project for their thesis; in other words, they should learn the area they are doing research. I always advise them to continuously keep up to date with literature."
