Schulich School of Engineering, UCalgary

ldvirlaa@ucalgary.ca

Dr. Luis D. Virla (he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the Sustainable Systems Engineering program and the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary. Luis has 15+ years of experience in research and development on carbon management and energy transitions. He leads a research programme focused on the acceleration of sustainable transitions with an emphasis on the human dimensions within engineering. Current projects include a living lab for electrification of land revitalization in the Canadian North (Volt-age), planetary health and climate change impacts on children (One Child Every Child), and enabling carbon networks and resiliency planning (CanCO2re and SinkNET).

Luis is also the CTO of Vortis Carbon Corp., a cleantech start-up focused on carbon capture, removal and utilization., and a co-founder of InnoLab space, an NGO focused on supporting community-led sustainability initiatives. Luis earned a Ph.D in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calgary (2018) and a BSc. (2008) and MSc. (2013) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Zulia in Venezuela.