Congratulations are in order for recent Chemical Engineering graduate Diego Barnett (ChemE 2T5), who has been awarded the prestigious MetSoc Undergraduate Scholarship for his research on membrane-based water recovery to support more sustainable mining operations.
Barnett first learned about the opportunity from Professor Vladimiros Papangelakis, and as a former student member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), was further encouraged by the organization to apply.
When he found out he had been selected, Barnett recalls, “I was absolutely ecstatic! I officially received the award on July 9, 2025, during the Conference of Metallurgy and Materials (COM) and Light Materials (LightMat) in Montréal, Canada.”
The award carries both professional and personal meaning for Barnett. “Academically, this award recognizes my efforts to improve water circularity in mining by enhancing water recovery and reducing freshwater intake,” he explains.
“It also highlights research aimed at minimizing environmental impact by dewatering waste aqueous streams. Personally, this award motivates me to continue addressing global sustainability challenges using engineering principles and skills such as problem-solving and collaboration.”
Barnett’s work has focused on developing polyamide hollow fiber forward osmosis (PA-HFFO) membranes for water recovery from mining streams, such as brines, raffinate, mine water, and rare earth element streams. These environments often have extreme pH levels, making conventional membranes unsuitable. To address this challenge, he re-engineered a commercial PA-HFFO module for lab-scale testing and exposed it to highly acidic and alkaline conditions over several months. Periodic testing confirmed the membrane’s strong chemical resilience. These findings, Barnett notes, support forward osmosis as, “an energy-efficient alternative to thermal methods and [one that] enables greater water reuse to sustain critical metal production for clean energy technologies.”
He is quick to acknowledge the mentorship and collaboration that made his research possible. “I am grateful to Professor Vladimiros Papangelakis and Assistant Professor Jay Werber for their technical expertise, design feedback, supervision and funding support. PhD candidate Noel Devaere contributed significantly with lab training, troubleshooting, data analysis and feedback on design and experiments. Their mentorship was invaluable.”
Notably, Barnett’s research was funded by the Dean’s Undergraduate Summer Research Pivot Fellowship, which he received in May 2023, and the University of Toronto Excellence Award, received in May 2024. “I believe my research success highlights the return on investment made by the university for supporting undergraduate researchers, which can act as a spur for future funding for undergraduate researchers,” says Barnett.
Beyond the lab, Barnett says what he enjoyed most was the chance to connect with the global research community. “I enjoyed the opportunities it created for me to attend multiple conferences, where I learned how professionals and students worldwide are addressing sustainability challenges. These experiences broadened my perspective on how the global transition to sustainable development is unfolding.”
Looking ahead, he plans to share his work more widely. “My immediate next step is to document and publish my research findings so they can benefit the broader mining community. Looking further, I aim to continue applying engineering solutions to sustainability challenges in industry.”
And for fellow students, Barnett leaves a note of encouragement: “Collaboration is key to solving global sustainability challenges. Start by working within your local community, then expand your efforts beyond borders—you’ll see your impact grow in the same way.”