“As surprising as it may seem, this is actually my second PhD,” he says.
“It’s been an uncommon and very non-linear journey to get here, but I can definitely say I’ve arrived at a place where I love what I do. I have zero regrets.”
Zaoui’s academic journey began in Algeria, where he was born and raised. He initially studied organic chemistry with the idea of going on to a career in drug development, completing master of science degrees at both Université Abu Bekr Belkaid in Algeria and Université Paris-Sud (Paris XI) in France.
Returning to Algeria, Zaoui found his academic interests had shifted slightly toward polymer chemistry, the subject of his first PhD at Oran University 1 Ahmed Ben Bella.
“Polymers are the basis of plastics, and also many other materials we use on a daily basis,” says Zaoui.
“I liked the idea of working on something that was more practical and relatable. But the real interest for me was green chemistry, the idea that we could make these everyday materials in ways that use less energy, produce less carbon or otherwise reduce their environmental impact.”
As he was finishing up, Zaoui heard from a friend at U of T; a PhD position was available in mechanical engineering, researching materials known as geopolymers — minerals with a patterned structure that resembles organic polymer molecules — as well as plant-derived additives as a way to improve the properties of concrete.
“Cement and concrete have great structural properties, but cement is very carbon-intensive to produce,” says Zaoui.
“Geopolymers reenforced with surface engineered thermoplastic microfibers can improve the toughness of cement-based materials. Plant-bases additives, like nanocellulose, can increase strength and reduce strength variability. The goal with both projects was to improve mechanical performance while considering cost and environmental impact.”
Co-supervised by Professors Chul Park (MIE) and Oh-Sung Kwon (CivMin), Zaoui designed several new hybrid materials and manufacturing processes, one of which even resulted in a provisional patent.
In between, Zaoui also found time to serve as Vice President, Social for the Association of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Graduate Students (AMIGAS).
“The barbecues and outdoor events we organized were probably some of the best moments I had at U of T,” he says.
“PhD students don’t get a lot of opportunities to de-stress and socialize, so it was great not only to get those moments, but to be able to help create them for other students as well.”
Zaoui also volunteered with Career Exploration & Education, a division of Student Life at U of T. As a career advisor, he helped support students and recent graduates as they researched the next phase of their career, which he says did a lot for his own personal growth.
A few months ago, Zaoui moved to Sydney, Nova Scotia to start the next phase of his career. He is now a research and development scientist at Agapyo, a company that develops bio-sourced and biodegradable materials that can serve as drop-in replacements for various types of polymer plastics.
“The idea is that instead of using oil-based polymers, we can use a plant-based feedstock and transform it into something that will behave like the kind of hard plastics you find in everyday objects,” he says.
“It kind of combines everything I’ve been interested in over the past ten years. I love working on a concrete, actionable solution where I can see the progress with my own eyes.”
In addition to sharpening his technical expertise, Zaoui says his time at U of T Engineering helped him learn to think about science in a more applied, practical way.
“I already knew how to conduct research and write papers, to solve problems in a general sense,” he says.
“But this was the first time I thought in terms of meeting particular design requirements while also being aware of constraints such as cost and time. These come up all the time now in the conversations that I have with our clients. Without the skills I developed at U of T, I’m not sure I would have been ready to handle that so quickly.”
Beyond that, Zaoui says that the U of T community was the ideal way to be introduced to Canada.
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