Meet the Team

Dr. Quamrul Huda, JR Shaw Applied Research Chair in Industrial Automation

Dr. Quamrul Huda is the JR Shaw Applied Research Chair in Industrial Automation and leads applied research at NAIT’s Centre for Sensors and System Integration. He has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Electronics and has 30 years of experience in academic and industrial research. He received the Commonwealth Scholarship award and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship award in the U.K. and Japan respectively. Quamrul’s research accomplishments are in electronic materials, nano devices, semiconductor processing, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), optoelectronics and laser spectroscopy. He worked for eight years in environmental monitoring in the Government of Alberta where he introduced advanced monitoring technologies. He was a recipient of the Government’s Innovation Fund Award for leading the development of Internet of Things (IoT)-based low-footprint air monitoring systems. Quamrul led projects on remote sensing technologies, algorithm developments and data analytics for quantification of oil sands facilities’ greenhouse gases and tailings pond emissions. He has nearly 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences.

Jared Coulombe, Operations Manager

Jared joined the centre in 2013 as a technologist. He has a diploma in Nanotechnology Systems and a Project Management certificate from NAIT. With an emphasis on data acquisition, programming, system assembly, prototyping, remote monitoring, methodical documentation and project management, Jared has contributed to the majority of centre projects. He grew his expertise exponentially with the centre, with his role evolving into managing processes and operations. His deep technical background  gives him insight into the  challenges faced by the team, allowing him to effectively communicate and alleviate these challenges, ensuring the centre continues to exceed expectations.

Bob Battle, Technical Lead

Bob is a technologist and project leader with the centre.  He is a Certified Engineering Technologist (ASET) with more than 30 years of experience in advanced manufacturing and equipment design.   Bob has worked with companies from many different industry sectors.  Before joining NAIT, he worked with private industry in both R&D startups and mature companies involved in microelectronics, MEMs, biotech (sensors) and photonics device manufacturing.   His diverse technical background includes electronics, optical systems, industrial automation, manufacturing and process equipment, and plant facilities.  Bob also has experience in project management, ISO, SPC and lean manufacturing

Susanna Vital, Technical Lead

Susanna is an Engineer-in-Training with a M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Alberta. She also holds an Electronics Engineering degree and a Mechanical Technician Diploma from the Federal University of Technology, Paraná, in Brazil. Before joining the centre in 2020, she worked for 8 years in electrical design and firmware development for the commercial and industrial sectors. During her career with the centre  she has worked with automation, robotics, circuit and mechanical design, programming and managing projects. She is proficient in embedded systems, wireless communications, data acquisition and antenna design. 

Andrew Anderson-Serson, Technologist

Andrew has a diploma from NAIT's Electronics Engineering Technology program. He joined the centre in 2018, bringing with him 6 years of troubleshooting and repair of electronic circuits and electromechanical systems. Andrew has since expanded his expertise with PLC programming, circuit design, robotic systems and industrial automation and controls. His unique approach to problem solving and positive attitude make him a valuable asset to the team.

Matthew Hart, Technologist

Matthew is a two-time graduate of NAIT (Electrical Engineering Technology and Nanotechnology Systems) and has over 3 years of process control and prototyping experience. Matthew's knowledge of instrumentation, PLC programming, three phase electrical systems, and 3D design has been invaluable to a variety of process optimization and prototyping projects. Matthew is continuously expanding his technical expertise in programming, industrial automation and power engineering to ensure future technical problems are always approached in an innovative and creative manner.

Trace Malcom, Technologist

Trace has a NAIT Nanotechnology Systems diploma and is pursuing a degree in Computing and Information Systems. He has over 2 years’ experience with robotics and robotic systems prototyping. His diverse background, which also includes micro and nanofabrication, wet chemical processes, bio-nanotechnology, and characterization, provides critical thinking skills and the ability to approach problems creatively.

Curtis Allen, Technologist

Curtis is a graduate of NAIT (Nanotechnology Systems, 2014 and Instrumentation Engineering Technology, 2018) and was one of the centre’s first summer students in 2013. Before rejoining the team in 2021, Curtis gained valuable experience in Alberta’s private sector where he worked in maintenance, research and production settings. Curtis has experience in experimental design and execution, system assembly, as well as test and characterization of prototype systems and equipment.

Benjamin Ripka, System Automation Specialist

Ben has a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Alberta and 4 years of software engineering experience in industry. He has worked extensively with a wide variety of software tools and languages to implement data acquisition, management, and monitoring applications. Ben is always eager to design high-quality, organized and secure software systems to suit our client’s needs. He is particularly interested in designing custom real-time monitoring applications in the IOT space, but also enjoys robotic and embedded system programming.

Chelsea Ragbir, Student Research Assistant

Chelsea graduated from the NanoSystems Engineering Diploma program with Honours at NAIT. Chelsea was the leader of her Capstone project and has a broad understanding of a variety of technical areas from chemistry to electronics. She has expertise in LabVIEW programming, methodical documentation and data collection. Chelsea has also gained experience in materials testing, system commissioning, and the design  and execution of experiments.

Alberto Leon Cevallos, Student Research Assistant

Alberto graduated from the University of Alberta with a degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently pursuing his Masters in Mixed Signal Analog IC Design. His current expertise is focused on hardware, embedded system design and C/C++ programming. His future areas of interest include data science and machine learning. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and going to them gym.

Spencer Savela, Student Research Assistant

Spencer has a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics, Nanoengineering from the University of Alberta. He has experience in electrochemistry, solar cells, MEMS, nanoparticles, and has practical knowledge of many tools within the University of Alberta’s nanoFAB centre. Since joining the centre, Spencer has improved his skills in wet chemistry processes, process control, programming, and electrical design, and is eager to continue developing and expanding on his skill set.

Industry Advisory Board

• Thomas Hansen , Regulatory Affairs Manager, Aurora Cannabis Inc.
• John Wolodko, Associate Professor, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sci - Ag, Food & Nutri Sci Dept, University of Alberta
• Kevin Moran, Technical Executive in the Energy Industry, Titanium Corporation
• Nikola Pekas, Research Officer, National Research Council of Canada (NRC)
• Brian Link, former owner of a Specialty Instrumentation Company
• Steven McDougall, President and CEO, Benchmark Instrumentation and Analytical Services
• Jean-Francois (JF) Bouffard, Director, Applied Research, NAIT