“There was unanimous endorsement from the TWU community for Richard to move into the position of Associate Provost Research. Dr. Chandra is a gifted researcher as well as a remarkable research administrator. We are excited to see how research at TWU will advance under his leadership in the years to come.”
— Dr. Bob Wood, Provost
Trinity Western University is pleased to announce Richard Chandra, Ph.D, as Associate Provost of Research, effective May 2021.
The University has witnessed an unprecedented number of grant proposals from TWU faculty over the past two years since Dr. Chandra joined as the Director of Research Studies in 2019. The University’s research conferences have also gained a new level of engagement among the TWU community, with each event seeing record attendance.
In his new role as Associate Provost Research, Dr. Chandra will provide leadership and vision for faculty research at TWU, as well as represent the University’s research interests provincially, nationally, and internationally.
Dr. Bob Wood, Provost, remarked, “There was unanimous endorsement from the TWU community for Richard to move into the position of Associate Provost Research. Dr. Chandra is a gifted researcher as well as a remarkable research administrator. We are excited to see how research at TWU will advance under his leadership in the years to come.”
Dr. Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham, Professor and Dean of Nursing, added, “We are delighted with the appointment of Dr. Chandra to the role of Associate Provost Research. He brings an energy for research that is catching, and an expertise in mentorship and grantsmanship that has already brought about remarkable results.”
Dr. Chandra brings with him 25 years of field experience. The majority of his research has focused on developing environmentally friendly ways to produce renewable and sustainable fuels and materials. He received his BSc in Microbiology and MSc in Wood Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
While pursuing his Ph.D in Pulp and Paper Science with a focus on organic chemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia (now the Renewable Bio-products Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology), Dr. Chandra conducted research for Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a multinational producer of paper-based consumer goods.
Upon completion of his doctoral program, Dr. Chandra continued to develop novel methods that use microbial enzymes and benign chemicals to economically convert forest and agricultural wastes to fuels and nanomaterials. He was a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Chemistry at UBC, working on several projects in collaboration with industry partners, as well as a research associate with the UBC Forest Products Biotechnology Group. During this period, he also served on the leadership team of Westlynn Baptist Church in North Vancouver.
Following his post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Chandra was hired as a research scientist for InnoTech Alberta, a government research laboratory in Edmonton, where he continued to work on renewable nano-materials while developing several successful funding proposals and industry collaborations. In 2019, Dr. Chandra joined TWU as the Director of Research Studies.
Since joining TWU as the Director of Research Services, Dr. Chandra has quickly established himself as a strong administrator who provides a high level of support for TWU faculty and staff. Dr. Chandra launched the new annual TWU Research and Creativity Symposium, which hosted its second virtual event in April 2021. He has developed and delivered several workshops on grant writing to the TWU faculty, while helping to form numerous research collaborations among academic and industry sectors.
Dr. Chandra looks forward to raising the research culture at TWU to even greater heights as he begins his position as the Associate Provost Research.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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