Chemist brings big-city experience to MUN
Robert Di Lorenzo is known as many things to his friends and family — a chemist, a chef, an avid hockey fan and a Toronto boy.
But it may be the latest chapter in Di Lorenzo’s life, undertaking a PhD in analytical environmental chemistry at Memorial University, that is the most adventurous so far.
He left the lights of the biggest city in Canada to pursue his PhD at the eastern edge of Canada, and has been on a bit of a winning streak — just like his Toronto Maple Leafs — since his arrival.
He was elected president of the Chemistry Graduate Society in November 2012 and won the 20th annual Chemistry Colloquium Competition in the graduate category in January 2013.
Di Lorenzo credits the event, which was established by Prof. Graham Bodwell, with helping him get to know more people within his department and the other sciences.
He says the event is a little less formal than traditional conference settings, and allowed him to bring together two of his loves.
“My talk on molecular gastronomy, that combines my two passions of chemistry and, well, food, was good enough to win the graduate competition. A really great event, all around. Hopefully I’ll be able to defend my title next year.”
Di Lorenzo, who earned his bachelor of science in chemistry and master of science in environmental chemistry at the University of Toronto, did not originally plan on pursuing a PhD, but MUN chemistry professor Cora Young convinced him otherwise.
“After hearing I was not planning on pursuing my PhD in Toronto and just receiving the job at MUN, she offered me her first graduate student position in her lab. To this day, I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
He first met Young at the University of Toronto in the summer of 2009, just prior to his senior year. He never thought they’d be reunited by research years down the road.
“I met Cora back in the summer of 2009, just before my senior year. I was doing a summer project in the same lab she was finishing her PhD. We maintained contact after we finished our respective degrees and went our separate ways.”
He credits Young, and her husband, Trevor Vandenboer, with convincing him that MUN would be a good fit, despite the obvious differences between St. John’s and his hometown. He admits he had some hesitation, but is pleased he made the move.
“I was slightly hesitant at first, since I had lived in Toronto all my life, but after speaking with Cora and Trevor they quickly convinced me that St. John’s could offer me everything I wanted, and more. So far, they haven’t been wrong on any front.”
He says St. John’s provides the perfect location for his research, partially for the quality of life in the city, but also for the way the atmosphere suits his research.
He says the province has a great mixture of environments for him to work in.
“Newfoundland and Labrador couldn’t be a more perfect place for my research. Not only is the coastal location essential for quantifying ocean effects, the combination of urban, rural and completely remote locations within relatively short distances allow for us to sample in places that will have very different atmospheric inputs.”
The industrial boom in the province also offers unique opportunities that Di Lorenzo is looking forward to taking advantage of.
“There are a lot of opportunities to collaborate with emerging and established ocean-based industries, making the research possibilities and funding opportunities very appealing.”
He is looking forward to bringing some of what he has learned to MUN, specifically to the Chemistry Graduate Society (CGS), of which he also had experience at the University of Toronto.
“I learned quite a bit through my time as a member and president of the Chemistry Graduate Student Union in Toronto, and I wanted to pass on that knowledge to the CGS here. Primarily, I am hoping to establish a non-profit sister company to the CGS, where the revenue will allow the department to allocate extra funds towards scholarships, guest speakers, conference travel support for students and social events, among many other things.”
He says the non-profit company could become a major recruitment tool for MUN, as it was for the University of Toronto.
“This is something that was done at my alma mater for decades and is a major part of their recruitment. I think MUN’s chemistry department could benefit immensely from its implementation,” he says.