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A UBC Okanagan professor has been named a Canadian finalist for an international forestry innovation award.
Dr. Kevin Golovin, who is an assistant professor of engineering at the Kelowna institution, is one of two national finalists for the Blue Sky Young Researchers and Innovation Award. The award was created by the International Council of Forest & Paper Associations, which wanted to honour young researchers who are advancing the global bioeconomy while sustaining the natural environment.
The other nominee is Laval University’s Véronique Rouleau.
“The leading-edge research being conducted by Ms. Rouleau and Dr. Golovin are two examples of what puts Canada’s forest products sector at the forefront of innovation, and we are excited about their ability to compete on the world stage,” FPAC president and CEO Derek Nighbor said in a press release. “The work of our two finalists is aimed at tackling real problems with innovative solutions that can mean better environmental outcomes for the industry and society—and for that they should both be congratulated.”
Dr. Golovin is researching the development of an oil and grease resistant paper without using perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) by investigating nano-silicone brushes. He is working on next-generation water and oil-repellent coatings in an effort to develop greener and more eco-friendly alternatives to PFCs. Specifically, Dr. Golovin is focused on food packaging, which normally is non-biodegradable. His silicone technology is biodegradable, so it solves one issue and also reduces a mill’s carbon footprint.
Dr. Golovin is one of 21 international finalists, of which three will be chosen as winners during the ICFPA’s CEO Global Roundtable in the final week of April.
