Orlando Rojas

Orlando Rojas is a Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), holding joint appointments in the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry, and Wood Science. He leads the Biobased Colloids and Materials (BiCMat) research group and directs the Bioproducts Institute. His research focuses on sustainable development through renewable materials, including nanopolysaccharides, bacterial nanocellulose, lignins, and multiphase systems. Rojas has advised over 50 PhD students and 40+ MS students, with a h-index of 90 (Google Scholar).

Key Roles/Positions:

• Canada Excellence Research Chair in Renewable Materials
• Adjunct Professor at NC State University (USA) and Dalian Polytechnic University (China)
• Director of FinnCERES Flagship (Finland)

Research Interests: Development of bio-based materials for energy, healthcare, and environmental applications. Key areas include nanocellulose functionalization, lignin valorization, and bioinspired materials. His work integrates colloidal science, multiphase systems, and sustainable manufacturing.

Grants & Awards:

• ERC Advanced Grant and Horizon H2020 funding
• 2013 ACS Fellow, 2015 Tappi Nanotechnology Award
• First Latin-American recipient of the Anselme Payen Award (ACS)

Labs & Collaborations: Active partnerships with Aalto University (Finland) and institutions globally. Leads the BiCMat group spanning UBC and FinnCERES, focusing on bio-based materials and sustainable technologies.